Pair charged with extracting deadly gel from fentanyl patches to lace heroin, meth

Clad in protective gear, police detectives entered a Madison home Wednesday where they believe a couple had been manufacturing drugs laced with a deadly substance.

The man and woman were both charged after the officers found a setup — following up on a tip — that police say was used to extract fentanyl gel from fentanyl patches to mix with heroin and methamphetamine they were selling.

The synthetic opioid fentanyl, sometimes used in medical settings as a pain reliever, can be 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and can cause an overdose by merely absorbing it through skin.

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The substance can also be deadly, especially when taken by drug users — sometimes unknowingly — as it's sometimes used as a filler in heroin to cheaply increase the drug's potency.

As the number of Tennesseans killed by drug overdoses jumped 12 percent from 2015 to 2016, deaths in Tennessee from synthetic opioids like fentanyl increased by 42 percent in that time frame, according to state data.

Last month, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced scientists in its crime lab had, for the first time, discovered fentanyl-laced cocaine, a revelation that "changes the game" pertaining to the risk of deadly overdoses by unsuspecting drug users, according to the agency's assistant director, T.J. Jordan.

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The Drug Enforcement Administration assisted narcotics detectives with the investigation in Madison, and hazardous material personnel from the Nashville Fire Department also responded Wednesday.

The pair at the residence surrendered after officers surrounded the house. In addition to being charged with manufacturing a Schedule II narcotic and felony drug possession with intent to sell, the man and woman are charged with child endangerment for having a 3-year-old child living with them.

Inside the house, police recovered equipment they say was used to process the fentanyl gel into powder, a pill press, a mirror "with traces of fentanyl powder" and two fentanyl patches, according to a release from Metro police.

Holly Fletcher contributed to this story. Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.