DEA finds enough fentanyl to kill 2 million people NY raid

Federal drug enforcement agents said a raid in a suburban New York home Friday netted enough fentanyl to kill nearly 2 million people, a Drug Enforcement Administration official told WABC. Five people were arrested.

The DEA said 5 kilograms of fentanyl and 6 kilograms of heroin were seized. Other items that were taken included cutting agents, grinders, and baggies were also taken by agents.

The DEA discovered some of the drugs in furniture that had concealed compartments.

WABC reports the owner of the house rented the home to a couple in December but was unaware of the alleged criminal activity.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The NDIA, citing the most recent CDC statistics, said 28,400 reported overdose deaths in 2017 were blamed on fentanyl and other synthetic narcotics. That was, by far, the most widely-used drug involved in reported overdose deaths that year.

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