KCK police conduct large drug bust, seizing almost 15,000 pills with fentanyl

The number of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl seized last week by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department Narcotics Unit has increased from approximately 6,000 pills to nearly 15,000, making it a significant bust, according to a police spokesman.

The metro area continues to experience record numbers of overdoses involving the highly potent drug, KCK police said.

Narcotics detectives served a warrant at a Kansas City, Kansas, home on Wednesday and seized approximately 6,000 counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl along with eight firearms and other drugs, a spokesman stated. Charges were filed in the case, according to police.

Approximately, 9,000 more pills, cocaine, marijuana and two additional firearms were discovered the following day in vehicles seized during the operation.

According to narcotics detectives, the operation was run out of a home that looked like any other on the block.

These counterfeit pills are made to look exactly like the ones dispensed from a pharmacy, but contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl – a drug that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, the spokesman stated.

Many individuals take the pills, unaware they contain fentanyl. Once ingested or inhaled, most overdoses occur within seconds to minutes, according to police.

The only way to prevent death is by quickly administering, naloxone, known commonly by the name brand, Narcan. Naloxone is available at area pharmacies without a prescription. There have been 61 overdoses and 11 overdose deaths in Kansas City, Kansas, to date in 2022, police stated.

Signs of overdose include a person’s lips immediately turning blue; gurgling sounds with breathing; stiffening of the body or seizure-like activity; foaming at the mouth; or confusion or strange behavior before the person loses consciousness, according to police.

If someone exhibits these symptoms after ingesting or snorting a drug, call 911 immediately, police stated. Those who have any information regarding the sale of fentanyl, or any illegal drugs, may call the KCKPD Narcotics 24-hour Hotline at 913-573-6287, according to police. Callers may remain anonymous.