NAMPA — Nampa Police Department's special investigation unit has its hands full.
Five large-quantity heroin arrests occurred between November of 2018 and April of 2019, all adding up to be one of the biggest heroin busts in Nampa history. Four arrests from out of staters with local ties. The most recent bust came from Salt Lake City.
"126 grams of heroin, 2,450 grams of meth, and 55 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone," said Sergeant Shane Huston with the Nampa Police Department.
Following a heroin overdose last year, Nampa Police created the special task force to watch out for heroin entering the state,
"I don't think it's just Nampa alone, a lot of these people were supplying the Treasure Valley," said Huston.
Luis Acevedo was arrested trafficking 509 grams of heroin from Portland, Oregon.
"Just to give you an idea of how much 509 grams of heroin is, the average dose of heroin is a tenth of a gram, so that's a very large amount of heroin that would affect a lot of people," said Huston.
Detectives say it's a 6000% increase in the amount of heroin seized between the months of January and April just in the past year.
Police say according to the state labs, most of the heroin coming in is laced with fentanyl.
"It's cheaper, its easier to mix in and it doubles the amount of actual product that they have, and it is more potent, so it takes less amount to have a desired effect," said Huston.
Fentanyl is also entering disguised as counterfeit oxycodone pills.
"They're not under any regulation, so there's no telling how much fentanyl is in there, and a very small amount can kill you," said Huston.
Health providers warn consuming fentanyl increases the dangers of a drug overdose.
"The medicine that we use to reverse, the Narcan, lasts as long as regular heroin, but it doesn't last as long as the fentanyl," said emergency medicine physician Dianna Lee Binnion.
Police say they don't believe the pills are being made locally, but they're targeting mid-level traffickers within the city to learn more.
At least ten other Treasure Valley individuals have been indicted for trafficking, but Nampa Police could not release the names since the investigation is ongoing.
