PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Just a week after two teens are suspected to have died from an overdose as a result of taking fake Percocet pills that were laced with fentanyl, police seized thousands of pills that are also believed to have been laced.
On April 27, Prince William County Police said a 15-year-old had died in Woodbridge and a 14-year-old died in Dale City. They shared that both deaths appeared to have been connected to the counterfeit pills, known as "Perc30," that were actually laced with fentanyl.
Wednesday, police announced a victory in the urge to get the dangerous fakes off the street: 5,000 were seized, along with a host of guns. Police cannot confirm if the two incidents are directly connected.
The department also announced the arrest of four men between the ages of 19 and 23, charged with crimes ranging from giving a firearm to a minor to possession with intent to distribute.
Percocet is a pain reliever usually containing oxycodone and acetaminophen, while fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The investigation surrounding the two teens' deaths is still ongoing.
"The Police Department recognizes our youth population as most susceptible to peer influence and pressures," First Sergeant Jonathan Perok wrote in a press release from PWPD. "We implore parents and guardians to take immediate action to actively engage with their children and loved ones as soon as possible about the dangers of drug use and encourage constructive dialogue to prevent further deaths and illness."