DANVILLE, Va. – Police are warning people about what they're calling a potentially deadly batch of heroin laced with illegally sourced fentanyl or a similar substance.
Danville police issued the announcement Wednesday afternoon.
Within the last week, police say that several people from Danville and the surrounding areas have required medical treatment after taking what they believed was heroin.
Police are not aware of any deaths attributed to this series of overdoses.
The increased risk this presents to the public is because this particular batch of drugs may be laced with fentanyl or a similar substance.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Police were notified of these overdoses by family and friends of the patients who overdosed and began an investigation.
So far, police have arrested one man suspected of trafficking the batch of drugs contributing to the overdoses.
Damion Reed, 28, is charged with intent to distribute marijuana and intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and the risk for anyone coming into contact with this batch of illegal drugs still exists.Â
The Danville Police Department asks that anyone with information about this case call 434-793-0000.