(WWJ) Warren Police have taken three people into custody for putting huge amounts of fentanyl on the streets as a part of a major drug ring.
Another suspect is on the run.
Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said he launched a major investigation following the death of a Warren resident, 47, linked to fentanyl.
The investigation revealed the drug ring tied to this group is responsible for at least 24 overdoses and three deaths in Wayne, Macomb and Lapeer counties
“It’s just a multi-million-dollar problem out there. It is stronger, more addictive and has been causing more deaths than cocaine and heroin combined," Dwyer told WWJ's Charlie Langton.
Overdoses from are up 18% over last year, and deaths are up 89%, according to Dwyer.
“Fentanyl is a synthetic drug. It’s laced on either heroin or cocaine for the most part. That’s what is causing the deaths of these people who are addicted on heroin or cocaine for the most part, is the fentanyl that is mixed in with those other drugs," Dwyer said.
Fentanyl, an opioid, is typically used to treat patients in severe pain. It is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Dwyer said these men operated in at least three Michigan counties. They face up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
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