THOMASVILLE — Thomas County is not immune to an influx of counterfeit pills containing substances other than what is indicated on the medication, according to authorities.

Transdermal drugs — those absorbed through the skin — are being found in bogus pills.

The GBI crime lab received a pill with markings consistent with oxycodone, but the pill actually contained fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl and U-4770, which has a street name of “pink,” all transdermal drugs.

The GBI issued an alert Tuesday to warn Georgians about the pills’ presence in the state.

To date this year, 16 Georgia residents have died after ingesting counterfeit pills.

“This is a new trend,” said Louis Schofill, Thomas County/Thomasville Narcotics/Vice Division.

The pills are being distributed state- and nationwide, Schofill said.

Alabama recently had a number of overdoses of counterfeit pills. Some resulted in death.

Schofill said West Virginia had a one-day breakout of the activity.

“People are making them in the their basements, just like people used to make methamphetamine in their basements,” the commander said.

Thomas County’s first encounter with counterfeit pills was in 2015, when pills seized in an arrest were sent to the GBI crime lab for analysis.

“It was supposedly alprazolam, also known as Xanax,” Schofill said. According to the crime lab, the pill appeared to be illicitly made.”

Narcotics agents have no knowledge of the pills being manufactured here at this time.

The counterfeit ingredients are injected, snorted and eaten by some. 

“It’s an opioid high,” Schofill said.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820 

GBI Crime Lab findings:

• Metro Atlanta has the most instances of counterfeit pills statewide. The two most common substances found in the counterfeit tablets were depressants and opiates.

• Since January 2015, the GBI crime lab has received 454 exhibits of counterfeit pills, about 75 of which contained fentanyl and/or U-47700.

• In 2017, the GBI crime lab determined there were eight fentanyl, six furanyl fentanyl and 15 U-47700 pills embossed as a non-transdermal drug.

• To date in 2017, Georgia has had 10 deaths reportedly as a result of furanyl fentanyl and six deaths related to U-47700.

• In the last four months, the GBI Crime Lab Drug Identification Unit received about 50 cases involving fentanyl, U-47700 and/or furanyl fentanyl statewide.