SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Scottsdale Police Department announced Thursday its officers and law enforcement partners have recently seized $9 million worth of fentanyl pills.
Police Chief Jeff Walther said a multi-agency investigation has resulted in the collection of nearly 1.7 million pills from residences and storage facilities across the Valley.
The amount of drugs seized is enough to potentially kill 700,000 people, law enforcement officials said.
"This is not a recreational drug," Walther said. "This is death."
These types of powerful drugs are "flowing like a river" into Arizona, Walther added, and are having a "destabilizing" effect on the community.
Law enforcement officials did not disclose the names of any suspects that have been arrested in connection to the drug seizures.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Arizona Attorney General's Office were involved in the Valley-wide investigation.
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Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.