Words by

Jóhannes Bjarkason

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Wikimedia Commons

In late March, customs officers at Keflavík Airport confiscated around 20.000 nonprescription tablets. At first glance, they seemed to be Oxycontin pills, valued at 115 million ISK, RÚV reports.

The Suðurnes Police claimed that the tablets were labelled by the pharmaceutical company Mundipharma A/S and should have contained oxycodone. Upon further inspection, the pills included no traces of the chemical, but a substance in the category of nitazenes — a group of synthetic opioids.

The police are hesitant about providing further information but stated that 14 individuals are in custody regarding drug importation at the airport.

60% of pharmaceutical-related deaths in Iceland are traced to opioids.