GREENFIELD — A 20-year-old man from Greenfield has been arrested after trying to buy fentanyl pills online.
Last month the South Monterey County Taskforce became aware of a Greenfield resident using social media to purchase fentanyl M30 pills — the same type of pills that are responsible for many overdoses in South Monterey County, according to the Greenfield Police Department.
Officers from Greenfield and Soledad served a warrant June 21 at the resident’s house, where they found multiple fentanyl pills in the man’s bedroom and on his person. He was taken into custody following the search.
“During an interview with detectives, the 20-year-old admitted to struggling with addiction, understood the dangers of fentanyl pills, and requested substance abuse intervention,” Greenfield Police said in a post on Facebook.
Police said the man, whose name was withheld, will be referred to drug court services.
“It is our goal to help anyone struggling with this disease, and for that reason, the identity of the 20-year-old is being withheld from this post,” police said.
Fentanyl is an illegal drug that is over 50 times stronger than morphine, and oftentimes mixed, or “laced,” with such other drugs as marijuana, cocaine, meth and heroin.
“Our community has been fortunate to not have lost any lives to this drug, but Soledad and other cities in our county have lost teenagers and young adults to overdoses,” police said. “Our officers will continue to take a proactive and ‘zero tolerance’ approach when it comes to gangs and drugs that affect our community and the safety of our youth.”
