Lawrence police say they seized 800 fentanyl pills during vehicle stop; bust is second in one week

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

A Lawrence Police Department patrol vehicle is pictured June 28, 2022.

Lawrence police seized hundreds of fentanyl pills during a recent vehicle stop, the department said in a news release Thursday.

“Lawrence Police made a significant impact in the battle against the opioid epidemic, seizing over 800 fentanyl pills during a vehicle stop on a suspected drug dealer,” the release said.

The drug seizure, the result of an investigation by LPD’s Directed Investigations Unit, was in addition to the 33.08 pounds of methamphetamines and 1.26 pounds of cocaine seized by LPD on the same day last week.

In that incident, a police officer and his canine partner Shadow — a dual-purpose patrol dog who is trained to detect drugs — were conducting a “routine security sweep of a transportation facility.” Shadow stopped at a piece of luggage and indicated the presence of drugs. Police have not identified the transportation facility.

The incidents, both presumably on Aug. 7, were not related, and police did not say why they were just now releasing news of the second bust.

An affidavit will be submitted to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for charging once the drugs are tested by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation laboratory, the release said.

“The complexity of this investigation and the expertise needed to make a seizure of this magnitude cannot be overstated,” Police Chief Rich Lockhart said in the release. “The tireless work of our investigators has resulted in keeping more than 800 potentially lethal doses of poison off the streets of Lawrence. The opioid epidemic has already touched so many lives, and every pill we seize is a pill that could kill someone in our community. We are steadfast in our commitment to rid our community of this menace, and this seizure marks a crucial step toward that goal.”