independent news media
The Arizona Department of Transportation reported Tuesday that 286 pounds of fentanyl pills were found in a crash last week on Interstate 10 in Pinal County.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 4 out of 10 fentanyl-laced tablets contain at least 2 milligrams of a lethal dose of a synthetic opioid.
Based on these figures, the seizures contained enough fentanyl to potentially kill more than half a million people, DPS officials said in a release.
Troopers responded to reports of a single vehicle crash on I-10 heading east on Casablanca Road, Sacaton at approximately 7:30 PM on February 16.
The pickup truck overturned and the driver was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, DPS said.
During the investigation, the troopers discover packages of pills hidden throughout the truck. In total, police seized approximately 286 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills (approximately 1,297,000 pills) from vehicles.
The estimated street value of the seized fentanyl is about $5.1 million, according to the DPS.
