Arizona troopers seize enough fentanyl to 'kill more than half a million people,' DPS says

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A nearly fatal crash investigation resulted in Arizona troopers finding $5.1 million worth of fentanyl – potentially saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 on eastbound I-10 near Sacaton, Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers responded to a crash. They learned the driver of a '89 Ford truck lost control, rolled over, and he was ejected. He has life-threatening injuries.

"During the subsequent collision investigation and vehicle inventory, troopers discovered numerous packages of pills concealed throughout the truck. In total, troopers seized approximately 286 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills - or approximately 1,297,000 pills - from the vehicle," DPS said. "The estimated street value of the fentanyl seized is approximately $5.1 million."

DPS provides background on the dangers of fentanyl in its news release, saying that 4 out of every 10 pills laced with fentanyl has at least 2 milligrams in it, which is a recipe for a deadly dose.

"Based on those figures, there was enough fentanyl in this seizure to potentially kill more than half a million people," DPS remarked.