State police seize $17.7 million worth of illegal drugs during first 3 months of 2021

State police seized nearly $5.6 million worth of cocaine during the first three months of 2021.

Troopers seized 253 pounds of cocaine in January, February and March, according to state police data. That’s almost as much of the drug as troopers confiscated during all of 2020.

The number of drug overdose deaths involving cocaine have increased nationally during recent years, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2020 Drug Threat Assessment. Officials suspect the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl may be mixed in with the cocaine.

In total, troopers seized $17.7 million worth of drugs during the first quarter of 2021. That includes 361 pounds of methamphetamines valued at $3.6 million, 15 pounds of heroin valued at $508,000 and 43 pounds of fentanyl valued at $693,000.

Methamphetamine use appears to be growing in parts of the country where it hasn’t been prevalent in the past, such as the Northeast, according to the DEA. Heroin and fentanyl continue to be the deadliest illicit substances, while black market marijuana production is on the rise, particularly in states where marijuana has been legalized, according to the report. Medical marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania, but neighboring states have either decriminalized marijuana, legalized medicinal uses or both.

Troopers seized about 1,500 pounds of processed marijuana valued at $4.5 million during the first quarter of 2021.

State police saw an uptick in 2020 in the value of illicit drugs seized statewide — $45 million worth — compared to 2019 when the total was $43 million. In 2018, troopers seized $66 million worth of prohibited drugs statewide.