Thousands of grams of pure fentanyl and over 15,000 pills containing the illicit drug have been recovered in West Hawaii over the past 15 months, police officers told County Council members this week.
Hawaii Police Department Lieutenant Ed Buyten, who commands the West Hawaii Area II Vice narcotics unit, said between November 2021 and Tuesday, over 4,000 grams of pure fentanyl and over 15,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl have been recovered in Area II, which spans the West Hawaii districts of North Kohala, South Kohala, North Kona, South Kona and Ka‘u.
“That’s about $2.5 million worth of fentanyl that we recovered in just a little over a year,” Buyten told the council’s Communications, Reports, and Council Oversight Committee. ” That’s not counting what has made it through.”
Buyten later added that while the east side of the island is dealing with the same issues, the west side seems to be taking the lead in the amount of the drug pouring into the community.
“Our mission is to rid our community of dangerous drugs,” said Buyten.
Fentanyl has been found laced in everything from marijuana, cocaine, heroin and pills.
“It might look like weed, and it might smell like it but we don’t know if it’s been laced or not. If there is any question processing evidence, we take it to an enclosed room where there is no ventilation to ensure if it is airborne it will not endanger our officers,” said Sgt. Chad Taniyama about testing for the substance.
Buyten along with Taniyama have over 40 years combined experience and testified of the dire state of affairs the drug is having on community.
“What we wanted to bring forth today is this: We are from here and have been in the department over 20 years each with most of our years spent in narcotics as we grew through the department. West Hawaii has a high cost of living for everyday products such as food and gas. Same goes for fentanyl. If you can get it here from the West Coast you are looking at a huge profit margin.”
A thirst for opioids on the Big Island is fueling the market on the Big Island.
“Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine, and 50 times stronger than heroin. The CDC says the average lethal dose is 2 mg. On any given day on Hawaii Island, that’s two million lethal doses that came into our village. We are recovering it every single day,” he said.
Buyten explained China produces the most illicit fentanyl in the world. In fact, he said, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has it down almost to a science where officials can determine what province the fentanyl came from.
From China, the drug makes its way to Mexico, which is where the cartels take over, he said. Those entities refine the fentanyl and then push it over into the United States. From there, it enters Hawaii through the mail or via airlines.
He said the effect of the drug can be seen every day directly and indirectly.
“Direct effect is use and trade. The indirect effect is the ugly side. It’s the robbery, the car thefts. It’s the kupuna getting their checkbooks stolen by family members who are trying to feed their addiction. That’s what we are facing here every day,” he said.
West Hawaii officers have made 50 to 60 adult fentanyl arrests in the last years. The federal government is prosecuting the majority of those cases, which often means those convicted receive mandatory minimum sentences.
“It started with us. We built the case up and the feds liked the package we delivered to them and try to prosecuted these cases for us, which is a huge thing. You are held to a high level at the federal court,” Buyten explained.
Taniyama said despite the challenges, he feels like they are getting the upper hand.
“We are winning the fight. We come in contact with addicts every day and they are saying it is getting harder and harder to find fentanyl because we are doing our job but we need your help. We are running out of time,” he said.
Buyten said officers need more tools within the department to battle the scourge.
“We need equipment and we just don’t have it. there is an epidemic going on and we don’t have the equipment to handle it,” he said.