The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) said investigators intercepted thousands of fentanyl pills headed to an Oklahoma prison.
On July 5, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and United States Postal Service intercepted a package intended for an Oklahoma prison. Inside the package, were 2,500 fentanyl pills disguised as M30 oxycodone pills.
The OIG estimated the value of the pills inside a prison to be at least $125,000.
FOX23 spoke with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) about the rise in fentanyl cases.
The ODOC Director said this discovery saved lives by keeping inmates from overdosing.
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Mark Woodward with the OBN said cases and doubling and tripling.
“Each year, going back the last five years, the number of overdose deaths that are linked to fentanyl are doubling and tripling the previous year,” said Woodward.
“We are going to shatter records when it comes to overdose deaths,” he continued.
Woodward also said fentanyl is being found is every street drug.
“It is being backfilled in heroin, methamphetamine, we have even tested marijuana that tested positive for fentanyl.”
In the case of the drugs headed to an Oklahoma prison, investigators traced them back to Kentucky but believe the sender used a fake name.
No charges have been filed yet but they said they are continuing their investigation.