From June through September, Maine State Troopers in Troop G combatted the flow of narcotics into Maine. Troop G patrols the Maine Turnpike from the New Hampshire/Maine State Line in Kittery to Augusta.

The Maine Turnpike is part of the I-95 system. Headquartered in Portland, Troop G consists of a Lieutenant, five Sergeants, three Corporals and 25 Troopers.

Over the summer, Troop G Troopers seized over 10.5 pounds (4.8 kilos or 48,000 dosage units) of narcotics with an estimated street value of over $720,000.

Troopers have not made a seizure of heroin in 2020, but instead have been seizing the more potent, highly addictive drug fentanyl.  In addition to the narcotic seizures, Troopers also seized over $58,000 in suspected drug proceeds. All seizures stem from traffic stops on Maine roads, according to a Sept. 22 news release from the Maine Dept. of Public Safety.

Maine had 380 overdose deaths in 2019, according to the “Drug Death Report 2019” released by the Attorney General’s Office. In 2020, to date, Maine has seen 321 confirmed overdoses with approximately 50 more suspected overdoses that are awaiting toxicology results.