PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Authorities are alerting the public after 900 multi-colored tablets pressed into the shape of popular cartoon characters were seized in the region.
The Violent Crime Drug Task Force with the Huntington, West Virginia Police Department seized the tablets, which were molded to resemble an emblem from the "Transformers" series. The tablets were bright-colored and approximately the size of a child's vitamin, increasing the likelihood they could be mistaken for candy, according to police.
Preliminary field testing indicates the tablets tested positive for MDMA — commonly known as "ecstasy" or "Molly" — as well as fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has been linked to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths nationwide, police added.
The Paintsville Police Department is urging parents and guardians to speak with children and teenagers about the serious dangers of consuming unknown substances.
"These tablets are intentionally designed to appeal to younger individuals, and their candy-like appearance poses a particular risk to small children who may unknowingly ingest them," the department said.
Anyone with information regarding the distribution of illegal substances, drug activity, or other criminal behavior is asked to contact the Paintsville Police Department:
- Emergency/crimes in progress: Call 911
- Non-emergency: 606-789-4221
- Anonymous tip line: 606-792-2706
