KCK police seize nearly 15,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in two-day bust

Police seized nearly 15,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl from a Kansas City, Kansas, home last week, police said Tuesday.

The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department served a warrant at a home on June 1, where they found approximately 6,000 counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl along with eight firearms and other drugs, department spokeswoman Nancy Chartrand said.

The next day, officers found an additional 9,000 pills, cocaine, marijuana and two more firearms in vehicles on the property, police said.

“Because only one pill can kill, taking 15,000 pills off the streets will definitely save lives,” Chartrand said. “But there is still a lot of work to do.”

The counterfeit pills are designed to look like medication from a pharmacy, but they contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl, which has opiate properties. Police described the drug as 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Many people take the drugs without knowing they contain fentanyl, police said. An overdose can occur within seconds or minutes, and the only way to prevent death is by quickly administering naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan.

There have been 61 overdoses and 11 overdose deaths in Kansas City, Kansas, so far this year, police said.

Police encouraged the public to immediately call 911 if someone exhibits overdose symptoms after ingesting or snorting a drug.

Anyone with information regarding the sale of fentanyl or any illegal drugs can anonymously call the KCKPD narcotics hotline at 913-573-6287.

This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 5:04 PM.