‘Large Quantities’ Of Fake Oxycodone Circulating: NHSP

CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire State Police Narcotics and Investigations Unit is advising the public to be aware that there are fake, tan Oxycodone pills circulating that are actually fentanyl, according to a press alert. The department, according to Lt. John Encarnacao, is involved in a number of ongoing drug cases, specifically in Merrimack County, and encountered the phony pills during the course of its investigations. Investigators, he noted, had “seized large quantities” of the tan tablets during the past several weeks.

“The M30 marking is typically found on 30 milligram Oxycodone tablets,” he stated, “however the 30 mg Oxycodone tablets are blue, not tan.”

These tablets were submitted to the NH Forensic Laboratory for analysis and the lab concluded that the only controlled drug found in the tablets was fentanyl, Encarnacao said. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Concord NH Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

“There was no Oxycodone present,” Encarnacao said of the test.

The photos attached to this post show the phony tablet – tan – and the actual Oxycodone tablets – blue.

“Individuals illicitly purchasing tablets believed to be Oxycodone may actually be receiving these fentanyl tablets,” Encarnacao said. “This could potentially create an overdose hazard. Drug dealers will many times sell substances that are not what they claim resulting in drug users being unaware of what they are actually ingesting. This illustrates yet another danger of the illicit drug trade.”