RIVERSIDE – Over the past two weeks, the Riverside County Gang Impact Team (GIT) has seized thousands of pills containing fentanyl as well as several kilograms of the potentially deadly drug in powder form.

 

The fentanyl seizures happened during three separate investigations conducted by GIT across Riverside County.

 

During the investigations, GIT seized an estimated 40,000 M-30 pills containing fentanyl, five kilos of powdered fentanyl, and three firearms. The estimated street value of the seized fentanyl is more than $1.5 million.

 

Because these are ongoing investigations, no further information is being released at this time. These investigations are part of the continuing effort of all Riverside County law enforcement agencies to save lives by stopping the flow of fentanyl in the county.

 

Fentanyl is a manmade, synthetic opiate that is less expensive than other opiates and is highly addictive. It also is 50 times more powerful that heroin and 100 times more that morphine.

 

Law enforcement agencies across the United States are finding fentanyl in nearly all illegal drugs. Hundreds of people are dying every year in Riverside County due to fentanyl poisoning. Victims, including young people, are illegally obtaining pills they believe are oxycodone or Percocet but instead contain fentanyl. It only takes two milligrams of fentanyl to potentially be a fatal dose and a teaspoon contains 5,000 milligrams.

 

Learn more about the dangers of fentanyl on our website here: https://rivcoda.org/dangers-of-fentanyl

 

The Riverside County Gang Impact Team is supervised by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation and staffed by agents from the DA’s Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshal's Service, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations Special Services Unit, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and detectives from the Banning, Beaumont, Cathedral City, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Murrieta, and Riverside Police Departments. 

 

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