Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department seizes over 10k fentanyl-laced

Published on January 25, 2023

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Narcotics Unit seized over 10,000 counterfeit prescription pills laced with the highly potent drug fentanyl over the weekend.

The seizure, made during a routine sweep of a local shipping distribution center, has a street value of upwards of $100,000.

 “The KCKPD wants dealers and suppliers to know that Kansas City, Kansas is not the place to be doing business,” Capt. John Diaz, KCKPD Narcotics Unit, said. “We are conducting routine sweeps with the assistance of drug-sniffing K9s in a variety of facilities, including those that process packages. Last year, as part of the Violent Crimes Task Force we seized about 150,000 pills and expect to seize even more in 2023.”

The pills seized are nearly identical to those dispensed by pharmacies, but contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl - a drug that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Once ingested or inhaled, most overdoses occur within seconds to minutes.

In 2022, Kansas City, Kansas recorded a record 174 overdoes with 40 being fatal - the vast majority, related to fentanyl. That represents significant increase from the previous year when there were 111 overdoses and 23 deaths.

If you are with someone who exhibits symptoms of overdose, such as shallow or no breathing, and becomes unresponsive after ingesting or snorting a drug, call 911 IMMEDIATELY. If you have any information regarding the sale of fentanyl, or any illegal drugs, please call the KCKPD Narcotics 24-hour Hotline at 913-573-6287. You may remain anonymous.

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