Hawaii police target fentanyl smugglers with intercepted drug packages

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii police have stepped up efforts in recent years to prevent fentanyl from entering the island.

Hawaii News Now was able to accompany HPD's Area II Vice Unit in tracking a package containing approximately 113 grams of fentanyl.

The suspect picked up the postal package that had been intercepted by the police a few days earlier.

The man was driving a Toyota Tundra through parts of Waimea when officers stopped him in a residential area.

“He had marijuana on the seat,” said one of the undercover agents.

They also found a pipe in the man’s pocket.

He was arrested, but we cannot determine his identity because no charges were filed against him on the day of his arrest.

Also in the truck was the large USPS flat-rate box that the officials were tracking.

“This particular shipment came directly from the West Coast,” said Captain Edwin Buyten of the Hawaii Police Department.

At the Waimea station, officials discussed the operation and showed Hawaii News Now what else was in the box.

A table fan, a book and children's toys were used to hide the fentanyl powder.

The actual drugs had already been replaced with baking soda after the package was intercepted. It was repackaged so as not to alert the suspect.

Although 120 grams of fentanyl powder is not a large amount, Buyten says it is still enough to harm dozens of people.

“We saw it. Take their lives.”

Buyten said the vice squad conducts almost weekly operations to remove dangerous drugs from the streets.

Big Island was the only county to see a decline in drug overdose deaths in 2023.

According to HIDTA, there were 32 deaths in high-drug intensity areas, compared to 34 the previous year.

Although this was only a slight decrease, Hawaii was the only county to buck the trend. Overall, the state saw a 6% increase, with Maui County making the biggest jump.

Fentanyl is increasingly responsible for drug-related deaths across the state.

“The price is so reasonable,” said Gary Yabuta, executive director of Hawaii HIDTA.

Hawaii County police say the drugs are getting to the Big Island in other ways, in cargo containers and through passengers carrying fentanyl. Other operations are also being conducted to catch these traffickers.

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