SLCPD warns of dangers of fentanyl after seeing increased recovery of drug

Photo: Salt Lake City Police

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 23, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City police are reminding community members of the dangers of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid drug, after seeing an increase in the recovery of pills containing the drug.

Since Feb. 23 of this year, the Salt Lake City Police Department has recovered almost 1,000 M30 pills, which are commonly laced with fentanyl, an SLCPD statement says.

According to the United States Department of Justice, M30s are fake prescription pills that, when sold on the street, are routinely found to contain measurable amounts of fentanyl. The pills are usually round tablets and light blue in color. However, they may be found in different shapes and an assortment of colors.

Recent arrest

At 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, officers assigned to the Liberty Division Bike Squad stopped a SUV near 900 W. Indiana Ave. for a moving violation.

While speaking with the driver, later identified as 48-year-old Fetelini Sekona, officers smelled marijuana. During a search of the SUV, officers recovered marijuana, packages of blue M30 pills, cocaine, methamphetamine, and a large amount of pre-packaged edibles containing THC.

Photo Salt Lake City Police

Sekona was charged on suspicion of:

  • Two counts of possession with intent to distribute a C/substance, as a second-degree felony
  • Possession with intent to distribute C/substance, as a third-degree felony
  • Possession of a controlled substance as a class A misdemeanor
  • Failure to operate within a single lane, an infraction

Sekona was ordered held on $5,000 bail.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said officers and detectives assigned to the Special Investigations Unit are working hard “to help reduce the amount of these dangerous drugs in our community. Even the slightest exposure to fentanyl can have deadly consequences.”

Photo Salt Lake City Police

More about Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is added to fake pills. Fentanyl continues to be a driving factor in the alarming increase in overdoses nationwide.

When added to pills, fentanyl can be impossible for the human eye to detect or to differentiate from an authentic pill. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

The SLCPD recommends people never accept or take a pill that hasn’t been directly prescribed to them by a licensed physician.

Signs of a fentanyl overdose include blue lips or blue fingertips, unresponsive to sternal rub, body stiffening, foaming at mouth, and confusion.

Naloxone is a medicine that SLCPD officers carry while on duty. It can treat a fentanyl overdose. Naloxone works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioid drugs.

For more information about fake pills, visit dea.gov.

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