Twelve people have been hospitalized, with some in serious condition, as New Zealand police investigate the discovery of powdered fentanyl that was sold as cocaine or methamphetamine.
The people were hospitalized over the past 48 hours in Wairarapa, a region lying in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, with six of the twelve found unconscious. This is the first time powdered fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has been discovered in the country.
High Alert, a government drug alert service, issued a June 25 notification that the cases are “believed to be linked to the consumption of a white powder,” with “preliminary testing” indicating “the presence of fentanyl, or a fentanyl-type substance.” The Institute of Environmental Science and Research is conducting further analysis….