Hundreds of Deadly Fentanyl Pills Seized in Bust Near Rochester Elementary School

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Authorities seized hundreds of suspected fentanyl pills during a drug bust near a Rochester elementary school. 

See Also: Traffic Stop Leads to Rochester Meth & Mushroom Bust

The criminal complaint, filed in Olmsted County Court on Thursday says Rochester Police served a search warrant at a home near an elementary school on Wednesday afternoon. 

Along with the suspected deadly pills, law enforcement also found two handguns. The items were seized from a safe located in one of the home’s bedrooms. 

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The Olmsted County Attorney’s has filed several felony charges following the alleged drug seizure. 

Massive Fentanyl Bust, Gun Seizure Near Rochester School

The charges say the raid occurred at a home in the 2300 block of 7th Ave. Northeast, less than 100 yards from Churchill Elementary School. The target of the warrant was 23-year-old Yusuf Abdiqadir Ali of Rochester. 

Police broke open one of two safes located behind a locked closet door. Inside one of the safes was a bag containing what the charges described as hundreds of blue M30 pills that are often laced with fentanyl, the complaint says. 

There was also a bag containing two handguns, one of which was missing a serial number. The court filing says the M30 pills later tested positive for fentanyl and weighed 77.6 grams. 

With an average pill weighing 0.1 grams that makes for over 770 pills seized from the home, the charges say. 

The M30 pills later field tested positive for fentanyl. The total weight of the pills was 77.6 grams. Each pill on average weighs .1 grams. It is clear that there are hundreds of pills in the bag.

-Ali Complaint- Olmsted County Court

 

Ali told police the guns and fentanyl pills were for personal use and that he doesn’t sell but admitted to giving the pills to friends for $4-$5 per pill. He denied owning the firearms and said he had no knowledge of the guns, the complaint says. 

Ali has been charged with first-degree drug sales, first-degree drug possession, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number and possessing a firearm as a user of a controlled substance. 

Ali’s bail was set at $30,000. He’s due back in court next month.

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