Oregon authorities made a massive drug seizure in Multnomah County last week, capturing tens of thousands of fentanyl pills.

This operation marks the largest illegal drug bust ever recorded in the county’s history, according to official reports.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit (SIU) announced the success of their months-long investigation on July 28.

The operation culminated in the apprehension of a wanted individual in Multnomah County, which is part of the bustling Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.

The suspect was observed approaching a vehicle near Southwest Avenue and Main Street on July 25, leading to his prompt arrest.

Due to ongoing investigative reasons, the identity of the apprehended individual will not be immediately disclosed.

Following the arrest, SIU deputies obtained a search warrant to comb through the suspect’s car and apartment.

During the search, they made a staggering discovery – gallon-sized plastic bags containing fentanyl pills and powder, alongside a stolen handgun, $5,000 in cash, and a commercial-grade pill press.

“The bags were found to contain approximately 58,000 individual fentanyl pills and 16 pounds of fentanyl powder.

Furthermore, ten pounds of the powder had already been prepared for pressing into pills using the machine. The investigation also revealed that the handgun was reported stolen,” stated the sheriff’s office.

“It is estimated that the 10 pounds of fentanyl powder could have produced approximately 50,000 pills,” the agency added.

“Additionally, deputies suspect that the remaining six pounds of fentanyl powder would have been sold in its powder form. However, if converted into pill form, it could have resulted in another 30,000 pills.”

In total, the SIU successfully prevented approximately 138,000 potentially lethal fentanyl pills from reaching the streets of Portland and its surrounding areas.

The combined street value of the seized fentanyl was estimated to be between $320,000 and $400,000.

Deputy John Plock of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office spoke to KATU2, revealing that the suspect was a known wanted felon with an out-of-state felony warrant.

“We believed we knew what he was doing,” said Mr. Plock. “We were doing surveillance and were ready to take him into custody.”

Notably, this recent fentanyl seizure outshines the agency’s second-largest operation, which took place in 2022 when they intercepted 92,000 fentanyl pills and other drugs during a traffic stop in Clackamas County.

Despite the accomplishment, officials remain vigilant as the number of fentanyl overdose deaths in the area has surged eightfold over the last three years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl overdose deaths in Multnomah County rose from 26 in 2019 to 209 in 2022.

“The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public that one pill can kill,” warned the sheriff’s office.

“The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reports that it only takes 2 milligrams of fentanyl—about the weight of a few grains of salt—to cause a fatal overdose. Today, six out of ten DEA-tested pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.”

Fentanyl is an extremely potent and dangerous synthetic opioid pain medication, typically prescribed for the management of severe pain.

Often mixed with other substances like heroin or cocaine, its high potency and easy availability on the black market have led to a significant increase in overdoses and deaths in recent years.

Fentanyl is estimated to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and about 50 times more potent than heroin.

Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is equivalent to a few grains of salt, can be enough to cause a fatal overdose in some individuals.

The question that officials have yet to answer is.. why would drug dealers want to kill their best customers?

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