COVINGTON, La. — Covington police say a typical traffic violation led an officer to pull over a car Tuesday morning on Taylor St. near 26th Avenue.
“Our officers are very proactive,” said Lt. Edwin Masters. “They go out and they enforce traffic laws, and this was for a simple brake light violation.”
That simple violation turned into something serious when Masters says the officer saw a clear bag filled with orange pills in the back seat.
“They were ultimately tested and they turned out to be fentanyl pills disguised as Adderall,” said Masters.
The more than 200 pills equaled more than 100 grams of the deadly opioid. Masters says next to that bag was a one-year-old child.
“It’s definitely frustrating and it’s careless,” said Masters.
Police identified the driver as Jacqueline Davenport, 30. She was booked into the St. Tammany Parish jail on a list of charges including possession with intent to distribute and having controlled dangerous substances in the presence of a minor.
Masters wasn’t sure if the child, who is OK, was hers. What Masters is sure of is the impact those pills can have on the streets.
“It’s scary. These criminals are pressing fentanyl and disguising it has Adderall or oxycodone and it’s killing our citizens and we’re trying to combat that the best way we can,” said Masters.
So are other law enforcement agencies. Last summer Slidell made the largest fentanyl bust in St. Tammany Parish. Twenty-six pounds of it, along with a haul of other drugs, were seized during Operation Heat Wave.
It was a partnership between local and federal authorities.
“Major drug traffickers are attempting to set up shop here in our community, because they feel safe, and they have easy access to New Orleans and the surrounding areas to distribute their narcotics,” said Slidell police chief Randy Fandal.
A new law signed Wednesday by Governor Jeff Landry increases the prison sentence for anyone convicted of creating fentanyl pills to attract minors.
“You can’t trust a drug dealer,” said Masters. “At the end of the day it’s a criminal act, what they’re doing.”
Masters says fentanyl-laced pills are commonly found during drug arrests and usually passed off as oxycodone. He says while Covington police have heard of fake Adderall pills, this is the first time those pills have turned up.
“If it does not come from a pharmacy, do not take it. Do not take the chance because it could be the last mistake you ever make,” said Masters.
In this recent case, it’s a bag of mistakes that Masters is thankful will never happen.
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