Paintsville Police warn of fentanyl-laced tablets shaped like cartoon characters

PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Police in eastern Kentucky are warning families about a dangerous new trend involving drug tablets designed to look like candy and appeal to children.

According to a public safety alert from the Paintsville Police Department, members of the Violent Crime Drug Task Force with the Huntington, West Virginia Police Department recently seized about 900 multi-colored tablets pressed into the shape of popular cartoon characters. Officers say the pills resembled an emblem from the “Transformers” series and were brightly colored, about the size of a child’s vitamin.

Preliminary field testing indicates the tablets contained MDMA — commonly known as ecstasy or Molly — as well as fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that police say has been linked to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths nationwide.

Paintsville Police say the candy-like appearance of the pills increases the risk that children could mistake them for something safe to eat. Officers are urging parents and guardians to talk with kids and teens about the dangers of taking unknown substances.

Anyone with information about drug activity or distribution is asked to contact Paintsville Police. For emergencies or crimes in progress, call 911. Non-emergency calls can be made to 606-789-4221, and anonymous tips can be submitted to 606-792-2706.