BCA: ‘Rainbow’ fentanyl in Mankato the first found in the state

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that ‘rainbow’ fentanyl pills found in Mankato last week were the first ever seized in Minnesota.

The multicolored pills were discovered at Mankato Tower Apartments Friday while police executed a search warrant at the residence of 31-year-old Bashir Mohamed, who is accused of opening fire in the complex earlier that morning, shooting a man he knew in a nearby apartment.

“These pills are extremely dangerous no matter what color they are, and they can easily kill several people with just one pill,” Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force Lt. Jeff Wersal said. “They were at his apartment. We’re still working on trying to find out where they came from.”

The Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force says the pills contain fentanyl.

“It’s a very dangerous substance. It’s 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine,” said Kris Keltgen, operations manager of the Mayo Clinic ambulance service in Mankato.

They go by the street name ‘rainbow’ and have an ‘M’ on one side and ‘30′ on the other.

Mankato authorities say they’ve seized blue ones in the past, but never other colors.

“The multicolored ones, we were warned by the DEA a month or so ago that they were starting to be seized across the country,” Wersal said.

On Monday, the BCA confirmed the rainbow pills were the first reported in the state. Officials worry the pills may attract younger people with their candy-like appearance.

“They’re bright colors and they might not look as dangerous. I think that they’re made, just marketed for kids or for young people because they look like skittles,” Wersal said.

Fentanyl pill dosages are unpredictable, posing dangerous and deadly risks to those who take them.

“Many times the concentration isn’t known, so you might think you’re taking a medication of one dose and it’s actually a much stronger dose, or there’s potentially other hazardous substances that are mixed in with it,” Keltgen said.

Experts warn against ingesting any substance not prescribed by your doctor.

“You should never take a pill that hasn’t been specifically prescribed to you and obtained from a pharmacy,” Keltgen warned.

The Drug Enforcement Administration advises anyone who encounters fentanyl, in any form not to handle it and call 911 immediately. They also warn that just one pill can kill.

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