New York Crime: 15,000 'Candy-Like' Fentanyl Pills Discovered Inside Kids' Toy LEGO Box; Authorities Warn About Deadly Drug Ahead of Halloween

Authorities in New York detained a New Jersey woman after finding 15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills hidden inside a Lego box.

Latesha Bush, 48, of Trenton, New Jersey, was seen carrying a black tote bag wrapped around a large object as she entered a vehicle in Manhattan on September 28. At the time, New York state drug authorities were looking into suspected drug trafficking, the US Drug Enforcement Administration reported Tuesday.

NY Officials Seize Thousands of Fentanyl Pills

According to reports, when the vehicle was halted, cops saw Bush in the back seat with two black tote bags and a Lego box. Lego blocks and brick-shaped products with black lettering were found inside the crate. One of the packages, according to the authorities, was only partially opened, exposing the rainbow-colored pills.

The pills appeared to contain fentanyl, according to preliminary investigations. Further inquiry found Bush had driven a rented car from New Jersey, and the drugs may have originated in Mexico. The pills had an "M" and "A 30" imprint on them to make them look like Oxycodone pills.

The largest fentanyl bust in New York City to date, according to officials. Bush was detained and accused of first- and third-degree felonies, both of which involve criminal possession of a controlled narcotic, as per USA Today.

The Lego boxes in her car appeared to be innocent enough, but the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force was able to see through them to the packages of pills that were concealed inside. This is New York City's greatest seizure to date. There is cause for alarm as more of these rainbow fentanyl pills are being found every day.

The candy-colored fentanyl pills are lethal even in little doses. In 2017, Sharon Richmond's son Vincent passed away from a heroin overdose.

She claims that the 25-year-old unknowingly used cocaine that had been fentanyl-laced while he was battling addiction. She now advocates for increased sanctions for drug dealers while raising awareness of the issue, CBS News reported.

Authorities Warns Against Taking Rainbow Fentanyl Pills

One of the main causes of the recent sharp rises in drug overdose mortality is illicitly produced fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that in 2020, more than 56,000 people overdosed on synthetic opioids, a 56% rise from the previous year.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) claims that the drugs are frequently synthesized to look like stimulants like Adderall or legitimate prescription opioid drugs like Oxycontin, Vicodin, and Xanax. The chemicals come from China, but the majority are produced in Mexico.

The DEA said that colorful fentanyl is being sold in powder, and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk in addition to tablet form. Despite all the recent cautions, figures regarding the prevalence of so-called rainbow fentanyl overdoses are not yet accessible. The agency states that 2 milligrams of fentanyl, or the equivalent of 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is considered a deadly dose.

School districts in Florida, Texas, and California have made new plans to address the situation in light of the escalating danger and the recent increase in fentanyl-related fatalities.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will be providing naloxone, a drug used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, free of charge at all K-12 schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the country, starting this coming week.

The news follows several suspected overdoses in the previous month, including the death of a young person at Bernstein High School in Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is harmful since it depresses a person's respiratory function and central nervous system and can make them stop breathing. Fentanyl can be fatal when ingested, injected, or breathed, but it is impossible to overdose simply by touching it, as per Yahoo News.