Heroin seized in St. John's traffic stop 'may contain fentanyl,' police say

Heroin seized during a traffic stop in St. John's is being sent foranalysis because police "believe it may contain fentanyl," according to a joint task force.

Members of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) stopped a vehicle Thursday at 5 p.m. in the east end of St. John's, according to a media release distributed Friday afternoon.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested for breaching court orders.

"A search of the accused resulted in a seizure of a small quantity of heroin. Samples have been sent for analysis as officers believe it may contain fentanyl," according to the CFSEU, though it was not immediately clear why officers believed that.

The agency said additional charges are pending and an investigation is ongoing.

• Beauford Place drugs test positive for fentanyl, heroin
• 'It is a fentanyl-related death': St. John's woman 2nd fatal overdose, police say

On Wednesday, police said tests proved drugs seized last weekend from Beauford Place in the east end of St. John's contained fentanyl, which has been linked to at least 17 recent overdoses in the metro area.

Those samples also tested positive for cocaine and heroin.

CFSEU is again warning the public that fentanylcan be fatal.