Agents in Los Angeles recently seized approximately 12,000 fentanyl pills packaged in several bags of candy, the latest instance of the deadly drug being misrepresented as something harmless. As a result, parents are advised to be extra vigilant this year when checking what their children bring home on Halloween.
A suspect attempting to get through screening and board a plane at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday was carrying packets of fentanyl pills, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The pills were found in boxes of Sweetarts, Skittles, and Whoppers by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Narcotics Bureau Detectives and Drug Enforcement Agency agents stationed at the airport, according to ABC7.com.
Before being apprehended, the person carrying the drugs fled, although the identification of the suspect is known. The situation is still under examination.
Authorities warn of deadly drugs disguised as candies
“With Halloween approaching, parents need to make sure they are checking their kids candy and not allowing them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them,” officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department warned in the statement.
“If you find anything in candy boxes that you believe might be narcotics, do not touch it and immediately notify your local law enforcement agency.”
Over 71,000 overdose deaths involving synthetic fentanyl were recorded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021, up from 57,000 deaths in 2020.
Authorities in New York detained a woman from New Jersey last month after finding 15,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills hidden inside a Lego box on her person. The incident was the greatest fentanyl seizure in New York City’s recorded history, according to the DEA.