Agencies across the state seize large amounts of fentanyl
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - Over $356,000 worth of illegal narcotics were seized in both Southeast and Southcentral Alaska this week.
Two Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Taskforces were notified of suspicious parcels that contained counterfeit fentanyl pills in addition to crystal methamphetamine.
According to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), these seizures constitute the largest fentanyl seizures ever in Alaska. This historic operation took place in both the Mat-Su Valley and Craig, Alaska on separate dates.
On Tuesday, April 26th investigators with the Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team were informed of a suspected parcel at a shipping facility. The team had found approximately 2,700 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills in a package addressed to an Alaska residence in south central area.
According to a press release, after executing a search warrant, three individuals including “40-year-old Redlands, California resident Tyrone Hampton and 37-year-old Mesa, Arizona resident Charles Holyfield were both arrested on charges of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree for their part in the interstate trafficking of the seized counterfeit fentanyl pills.”
In addition, the release states “24-year-old Ontario, California resident Lawrence McGirt II was also arrested on multiple extraditable warrants out of California during the operation.”
All three were remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility, and the pills in the Mat-Su Valley were “estimated to be over $100,000,” according to the document.
On Wednesday, April 27th, Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs task force had tracked a parcel that was scheduled to be delivered to a residence in Klawock, Alaska. DPS wrote that the task force had “seized 2,000 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills and 453 grams of crystal methamphetamine.”
Four people suspected to be involved were remanded to the Craig Jail Facility.
The press release said, “Investigators arrested 39-year-old Craig resident Cicely Tupou, 43-year-old Hydaburg resident Shanteh Carle, and 44-year-old Klawock resident Donald Yates on charges of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree and Third Degree for their part in the trafficking of the seized narcotics. Investigators also arrested 40-year-old Hydaburg resident Alva Peratrovich for a Probation Violation.”
Governor Dunleavy recently shared that his administration is working to tighten down on this new issue. “My administration has all been about making sure that we can do everything that all we can to reduce the rates of crime,” he said. “But when you have a drug like this coming into the state like Alaska and people are overdosing on it... I’ve told my people that we wanna have some serious conversations as to what kind of consequences should be attached to such drug dealing and drug transportation.”
More information can be found on the Alaska Department of Public Safety’s website.
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