Columbus police seize purple fentanyl. DEA talks drug's presence in GA
The Columbus Police Department announced Sunday the seizure of over 100 grams of fentanyl that was purple in color, according to a news release from the department.
CPD said officers found 102.5 grams of fentanyl that was purple in color and 0.2 grams of methamphetamine.
The seizure was part of a narcotics investigation that concluded April 15 and involved CPD’s Special Operations Unit with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol, according to the news release.
Two people were arrested as part of the investigation. The news release says Brittany Stillwell, 32, was arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy to commit a felony (trafficking fentanyl) (felony), possession of methamphetamine (felony), possession of drug-related objects (misdemeanor), trafficking fentanyl (felony) and crossing the guard line with illegal narcotics (felony).
Police said Tristan Long, 22, was arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy to commit a felony (trafficking fentanyl) (felony), possession of methamphetamine (felony), possession of drug-related objects (misdemeanor) and trafficking fentanyl (felony).
Police said the fentanyl’s purple appearance is a reminder that illegal drugs are not always what people expect and can come in many different shapes, colors and forms.
DEA talks about fentanyl trafficking in Georgia
In a news conference held Monday at the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office for Operation Sweet Silence, Jae Chung, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Atlanta field office, said the DEA has seen fentanyl in different colors including white, purple and green.
Chung said the fentanyl bricks can have different stamp markings such as numbers, Louis Vuitton symbols and Mercedes symbols that speak to the purity of the drug.
“As you can imagine, if you have Mercedes symbols, Louis Vuitton symbols, that means its a high-purity fentanyl,” Chung said.
Chung said the DEA has seen fentanyl adulterated into other drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine, and in pills in various form, such as adderall, xanax, hydrocodone and oxycodone.
The state of Georgia had close to 400 pounds of fentanyl seized last year and is pushing close to 200 pounds seized this year, he said.
Chung said the top three Mexican cartels contributing to illicit drugs in Georgia are the Sinaloa Cartel, the Cartel Jalisco New Generation and the La Familia Michoacana.
“All three of them bring in illicit drugs, like fentanyl, which is killing Americans, and methamphetamine, into the U.S. and also often lands in Atlanta and is further distributed throughout the country,” he said.
Chung said methamphetamine is still a major threat to the state of Georgia.
“We get methamphetamine by the truckload — and literally by the truckload,” he said.
Chung said the methamphetamine is concealed in vegetables, fruits, hidden compartments of vehicles or tractor trailers.
“It all lands in Atlanta before the distribution,” he said.