The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) have seized some synthetic opioid pills that are disguised as name-brand anti-anxiety medications.
On June 19, police were able to intercept a package containing several hundred pills that resemble a common anti-anxiety drug known as Xanax. After testing a sample of the pills, it was discovered that they were actually containing a highly potent opioid known as isotonitazene.
The approximate street value of the seizure totals just below $5,000. No arrests have been made at this point.
The gray pills are inscribed with the phrase “ONAX” on one side and the number “2” on the other side.
“This powerful synthetic opioid, disguised as the prescription drug Xanax, is extremely concerning,” says S/Sgt. Marco Antonio with the EPS’ Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement Section. “Unfortunately, the seizure of these pills is another example of how drug traffickers are manufacturing an array of synthetic opioid variants that can easily be portrayed as other medications, unbeknownst to the consumer.”
