Traffic stop results in fentanyl seizure, arrests
A Wichita County deputy who stopped a vehicle late Sunday for a malfunctioning tail light ended up taking a large quantity of fentanyl off the streets and arrested two suspects.
The deputy made the stop near 23rd and Grace streets. He smelled marijuana and noticed the woman driving the SUV was very nervous. The deputy learned the male passenger had an outstanding drug warrant and arrested him. Then he found two backpacks that contained methamphetamines, marijuana, a glass pipe and scales.
More:WFISD moves to alert families to the deadly dangers of fentanyl
A test of another substance showed it to be fentanyl. The weight of four grams means it could potentially have produced hundreds of doses. Fentanyl, even in small amounts, can be immediately fatal. So far in 2022, 18 young people are known to have died from the drug in Wichita Falls.
More:Police arrest three for fentanyl possession
Fentanyl in pill form is often counterfeited as a legal medication, such as Percocet. Local authorities have implemented a crackdown on the drug and the Wichita County District Attorney's Office has already charged three suspects with murder in cases where the distribution of fake pills is linked to deaths.
More:Two people charged in local fentanyl death
More:Police, DA declare war on killer drug fentanyl
More:First suspect jailed in fentanyl-related death
The driver of the vehicle, Toni Lynn Cribb, was charged with drug possession. Her bail was set at $10,000. Her passenger, Dwight Albert Simpson, was charged with drug manufacturing or distribution. His bail was set at $50,000. Both remained in the Wichita County Jail Monday.
More:Police continue fentanyl crackdown with arrest
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Traffic stop results in fentanyl seizure, arrests
