Massive Counterfeit Pill Operation Exposed in Connecticut

A New Haven man has been indicted for allegedly manufacturing and distributing counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and other dangerous opioids from a rented garage in East Haven, Connecticut. Law enforcement officials on Monday announced indictments against Kelldon Hinton and six others, lauding it as one of New England's largest counterfeit pill busts. Hinton allegedly shipped over 1,300 packages through the US mail and supplied local dealers from February 2023 to February 2024. Authorities say the pills, marketed as counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall, contained powerful drugs such as protonitazene and xylazine.

Authorities initiated their investigation in June 2023 after a tip-off. They employed methods including surveillance and examining Hinton's mail and say they purchased counterfeit pills from Hinton's operation via the dark web. Federal agents busted the operation on Sept. 5, seizing hundreds of thousands of pills and several pieces of pill-manufacturing equipment. Authorities said one of the pill presses was capable of making 100,000 pills per hour. An official stated, "This investigation reveals the constant challenges that we in law enforcement face in battling the proliferation of synthetic opioids in America." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)