JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office says two men have been arrested after 28 bags of pressed pills found in a rental vehicle tested positive for MDMA, also called Ecstasy or 'Molly'.
The pills looked like 'Snapchat Ghosts', according to deputies, and could easily be mistaken for children's vitamins.
On Tuesday, deputies say they conducted a traffic stop at State Roads 19 and 100 on a rental vehicle driven by Avery Lee, 31 of Stone Mountain, Georgia.
Deputies say Lee had a suspended license and upon contacting the rental company, deputies learned Avery was not an authorized driver and the vehicle was overdue for a return. The company then requested deputies impound the vehicle for them to recover.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, Putnam deputies say they located a backpack with 28 bags of pressed pills. Using a field test kit, the deputies say the pills tested positive for MDMA.
"We want to make our community aware, especially parents and caregivers of children, that these pills were pressed in the shape of a popular icon and essentially look like kids' vitamin pills," said the sheriff's office on Facebook.
Col. Joseph Wells, the deputy chief, told First Coast News it was the largest seizure of MDMA in the county.
"So, it was astonishing, especially considering the fact that this was not a seizure that resulted out of any specific investigation or intelligence," Wells said. "Also, our biggest concern is - and we don't know yet - but we're seeing more and more of this 'molly' that contains fentanyl."
Wells added how the drugs were sent to a lab to check for fentanyl. The pills weighed about 893 grams and contained approximately 10,000 doses, deputies say. To Amber Gilbert, who volunteers for Recovery Point in Palatka, the recent drug bust is discouraged. Recovery Point is an organization that provides "education and advocacy" to communities.
Gilbert, who's in long-term recovery for nearly a decade, said she is not deterred from keeping her community drug free. Putnam officials believe the molly was going to be dispersed in the county. However, Gilbert remains optimistic.
"I've managed to stay clean. I've managed to live a life of recovery," Gilbert said. "If I can do it, then anybody in my community can do it."
Lee was arrested and charged with driving with a suspended license and trafficking phenethylamines of 10 grams or more.
He was taken to the Putnam County Jail and held on $150,500 bond.
Deputies say a passenger in the vehicle, Keandre Hill, 31, of McDonough, Georgia, was also arrested and charged with trafficking phenethylamines.
He was taken to the Putnam County Jail and held on $150,000 bond.
"This was an excellent stop by our road deputies and our Drug and Vice Unit," Sheriff H.D. 'Gator' DeLoach said on Facebook.
"These pills were clearly meant for distribution into our community and could have easily gotten into the hands of teens and children. We will continue to be vigilant in pursuing those that wish to prey on our community and our residents."