October 12, 2017
Thom Carroll, File/PhillyVoice
A Camden County Police Department is seen in the city of Camden.
Authorities in Camden have reportedly made an arrest after 14 people overdosed on the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl in a span of four hours on Wednesday.
New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino tweeted a warning Wednesday afternoon in the aftermath of the overdoses.
WARNING: Mass overdoses-approximately 14 in last several hours-reported in #Camden due to lethal #fentanyl laced #heroin. Please RT. pic.twitter.com/eQkiY6K5XW
— Christopher Porrino (@cporrino) October 11, 2017
Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said the overdoses occurred in South Camden between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., according to 6ABC.
Thomson said an arrest was made but did immediately release details about the identity of the suspect.
Fentanyl, a substance 50 to 100 times more potent than street-level heroin, has led to a spike in fatal overdoses in the past year. Victims may be sold a drug they were unaware was laced with fentanyl, as it is often mixed in with heroin.
Philadelphia officials, cooperating with state and federal authorities, have executed a series of fentanyl busts in the Northeast section of the city in recent months. Another recent fentanyl seizure in Montgomery County netted enough of the substance to theoretically kill half of the county's population, District Attorney Kevin Steele said.
Thomson said Camden County police will continue to monitor the area and bring in additional resources to prevent the spread of fentanyl.
