PHOENIX — Police say it's made to get kids and teens hooked, and now it's being found on the streets of Arizona.
The Phoenix Police Department seized bags filled with what's being called "rainbow fentanyl" in a recent drug bust, according to a spokesperson. It was found inside a car along with $15,000 in cash and 39,000 total fentanyl pills.
"It's a way that some of the younger users can find something a little different," says Sgt. Brian Bower with Phoenix Police.
While the pills resemble candy, Bower says it's also made to look like another more common narcotic.
"The reason that these are being popular amongst the drug-using community is that they resemble oxycodone pills," he explained.
Both have similar markings and are roughly the same size. The rainbow fentanyl is also much smaller than the typical blue pills that authorities have seized. A few could fit side-by-side on a dime. Bower says that doesn't make them any less deadly.
"It's the same as the traditional ones, just simply a different color," Bower says.
It was last month when 12News spoke with the Port Director of Nogales with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They said for two days in a row, they seized thousands of rainbow fentanyl pills.
While law enforcement is trying all they can to crack down on these pills spreading, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says it's already been located in 18 states.
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