MALDEN — Police are warning residents about the dangers of counterfeit prescription pills after two people were arrested with suspected fentanyl-laced drugs.
“We want to stress the importance of avoiding ‘street doctors’ because what you get on the street may not be what you intended to buy,” the Malden Police Department said in a statement Friday.
Authorities said they are seeing an increase in “pressed pills” — counterfeit drugs made to look like prescription medications — that contain fentanyl and other dangerous substances.
Officer Cameron Selfridge encountered two adults during a traffic stop Thursday evening, May 23, at approximately 7 p.m.
The individuals were found in possession of what appeared to be counterfeit pills believed to contain fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with other controlled substances, according to police.
Selfridge arrested a male from Somerville and a female from Malden on drug-related charges in addition to criminal motor vehicle infractions.
Both individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The police department urged residents to avoid purchasing prescription medications from unauthorized sources, stating that counterfeit pills “can lead to deadly encounters.”
