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Jan. 28, 2022St. Louis |  By: AP

Fentanyl seizures rise sharply in three-state area

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ST. LOUIS (AP) - The Drug Enforcement Administration division that includes Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois seized more of the dangerous drug fentanyl last year than in the two previous years combined.

The DEA's St. Louis Division said Tuesday that agents and task force officers seized 188 kilograms of fentanyl last year, compared to 82 kilograms in 2020 and 104 kilograms in 2019.

Investigators also seized a record 1,848 kilograms of methamphetamine, an all-time high, and 73 kilograms of heroin.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used to treat pain in pharmaceutical settings. The DEA says it is 50 times more potent than heroin.