GBI Issues Public Safety Alert on Counterfeit Pills

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has issued a public safety alert regarding counterfeit pills.

Since January 2015, the crime lab has received 454 exhibits of counterfeit pills. These pills contain drugs other than those that are indicated by the markings. This led to an internal study to determine the contents of counterfeit pills submitted to the lab by law enforcement agencies in Georgia.

This study revealed that the Metro-Atlanta area has the most instances of counterfeit pills in the state.

The top counterfeited logos represent Xanax and oxycodone, and the two most common substances found within the counterfeit tablets were depressants and opiates.

Significant concern arose about transdermal drugs in the opiate drug class being disguised as oxycodone, which is a non-transdermal drug. In 2017, there have been 8 fentanyl, 6 furanyl fentanyl and 15 U-47700 pills disguised as non-transdermal drugs.

So far this year, Habersham and Franklin Counties have had one report of counterfeit pills and Stephens County has had none.