Moorhead police are investigating after a 13-year-old was discovered in school with 1,500 pills that might contain the high-powered opioid fentanyl.
In a news conference Friday, Police Chief Chris Helmick said it is not known how the student came to possess such a large quantity of drugs, which had a street value of $37,500.
“This is extremely concerning,” Helmick said. “He didn’t just find that walking on the street.”
The student is in custody at the West Central Regional Juvenile Detention Center under a preliminary charge of first-degree possession of a controlled substance. One of the boy’s parents is cooperating with the investigation, Helmick said.
The composition of the pills is yet to be confirmed via lab testing. They appeared to be counterfeit oxycodone pills, according to police.
“The safety and security of our students is our highest priority,” Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Brandon Lunak said in a statement. “We are grateful for the response of the Moorhead Police Department and the quick actions of our staff and students, which ensured there was no impact on students during this incident.”
Police said another student at Horizon West Middle School reported to staff that the 13-year-old had a large number of pills. Lunak and Helmick both praised staff and a school resource officer for acting quickly.
Helmick said a fentanyl pill could be lethal for middle-school-age students. He said his department has begun coordinating periodic and random searches with drug-sniffing dogs at middle and high schools.
