Fentanyl is a powerful pain medication with a quick onset and short duration. It is said to be 50 times stronger than heroin and is often prescribed by doctors to alleviate pain in cancer patients. Of course, we all know that the drug has migrated from the world of medicine and is now manufactured illicitly and sold illegally.
Law enforcement officials recently announced a record haul of fentanyl in a bust about a two-hour drive north of Atlantic City. New Jersey State Police said they seized nearly 100 pounds of the opioid in North Bergen, where four men have been charged with drug distribution crimes.
Police claim that the fentanyl seizure could have been divided into more than 18 million doses. The record seizure of the drug is about three times as much as the previous record of 31 pounds confiscated back in March of this year.
Attorney General Christopher Porrino said that those in the drug trade are mixing fentanyl into heroin to bump up potency. He said the combination is a “deadly poison,” a news report stated.
The North Bergen bust is on the heels of a seizure in New York City of nearly 195 pounds of the drug.
New Jersey has some of the toughest drug laws in the nation. Those charged with crimes such as possession with intent to distribute, drug manufacturing or conspiring to distribute controlled substances can face the possibility of prison if convicted.
If you face any of those charges, talk to a criminal defense attorney who protects rights and freedoms before speaking with prosecutors.