Carfentanil, an extremely deadly opioid used as an elephant tranquilizer, has been seized in Massachusetts, state police confirmed Wednesday.
Three samples were analyzed in a Massachusetts State Police crime laboratory and tested positive for the drug. Two were taken by police in Brockton, while MBTA Transit Police seized another in the Quincy area.
One of the seized samples was mixed with cocaine, while the other two were pure carfentanil. State police note that the drug has "no legitimate medical uses for humans."
The department shared a photo of a dose of the drug, which can be fatal. It was placed next to a penny for scale.
The drug had recently been found in other parts of New England, including New Hampshire and Maine. It was responsible for deaths in both those states.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, carfentanil is about 5,000 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than fentanyl.
