Several investigations into illegal drug smuggling have been launched at the Stillwater prison

After more than a dozen Stillwater Correctional Facility employees became ill after inhaling smoke from an illegal synthetic drug, the Minnesota Department of Corrections imposed a lockdown of the prison in search of the synthetic marijuana drug known as K-2.

DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that investigators found a significant amount of paper material that they believed was laced with the synthetic drug and that several investigations outside of the prison are currently underway to determine who is responsible responsible for smuggling the drugs into the prison.

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“The lockdown took place throughout the facility so that we could deploy the staff we needed,” said Schnell. “And there are active cases that we're looking at, people on the outside that we believe were involved. There are ongoing investigations into this.”

Schnell said there have been three suspected drug overdose deaths and 75 non-fatal overdoses in all Minnesota prisons since the beginning of the year.

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“You address that and then they find another mechanism or way to try to introduce contraband into the facilities,” Schnell said.

So far, no inmates have been charged with possession of the illegal K-2, Schnell said.