Key takeaways:
- Auburn, Maine employees opened a crate expecting mugs, but instead found 14 kilograms (31 pounds) of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl with an estimated street value of $3 million.
- The Auburn Police Department seized the crate and are working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency to investigate the source of the shipment.
- Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and is often used as a recreational drug, linked to a number of overdose deaths.
Auburn, Maine – Employees of a local restaurant got a surprise when they opened a large wooden crate they thought was a shipment of mugs they had recently ordered. Instead, they found a plastic tote that contained what law enforcement suspect is 14 kilograms (31 pounds) of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl with an estimated street value of $3 million, Auburn police Deputy Chief Timothy Cougle said in a statement Saturday.
The crate from Arizona had arrived in the Maine town about 30 miles north of Portland. Employees who opened it saw what they thought looked like drugs, so they contacted police, Cougle said.
The Auburn Police Department responded to the call and seized the crate. Upon further investigation, police confirmed that the crate contained 31 pounds of fentanyl. The estimated street value of the drugs is $3 million.
The Auburn Police Department is working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency to investigate the source of the shipment. No arrests have been made at this time.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It is often used as a recreational drug and has been linked to a number of overdose deaths. The Auburn Police Department is urging anyone with information about the shipment to contact them.
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