ASHLAND, Ore. – Police announced the discovery of tens-of-thousands of fentanyl pills found inside a van’s hidden compartment after a traffic stop on Interstate 5.
The Medford Police Department said on July 28, officers with the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) team stopped a 2008 Dodge sprinter van near milepost 16. At the scene, they found cocaine, scales and packaging.
The van was seized while officers waited for a search warrant.
Eventually, the warrant was served and detectives found 60,000 to 80,000 fentanyl pills hidden inside the van. They were packaged to disguise any odor.
“The pills are similar in shape, color and markings to Oxycodone 30 pills; round, blue with a M on one side and 30 on the other,” MPD wrote. “The street value of a single fentanyl pill is approximately $50.”
Using MPD’s value estimate, 60,000 fentanyl pills would be worth about $3 million on the black market.
Officers explained, “Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but can be 50 to 100 times more potent. There is a high risk of overdose associated with fentanyl. According to Acetyl Fentanyl Fact Sheet synthetic opioids are the most common drugs associated with overdose deaths in the United States.”
On August 6, police arrested 22-year-old Pavel Dubinstov for possession and delivery of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession and delivery of cocaine. Court records indicate Dubinstov was released from jail and is scheduled to appear in a Jackson County courtroom on September 5.
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