Carfentanil

Thieves in Union Gap, Wash., may have scored more than they bargained for when they stole drugs from a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife vehicle Thursday night.

Department officials are looking for three small vials of Carfentanil Citrate taken from a department vehicle parked outside a Super 8 motel in the town near Yakima.

The drug, used to immobilize large wild animals, is highly toxic and fatal to humans, department officials said Monday.

The department is working with the Union Gap Police Department in the hopes of recovering the pilfered goods.

Whoever stole the drugs can return them to a local hospital or public safety building as soon as possible, with no questions asked, officials said.

"We're not interested in prosecuting people, we just want the stuff back," said Doug Williams, a spokesman for the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The drugs were contained in three small, clear glass vials marked with the words "Carfentanil Citrate" in green letters, and the characters C II in large red type, officials said.

Each vial contained 10 cubic centimeters of the drug.

Williams said whoever stole the drugs may not know what they are dealing with.

"It's many, many times more powerful than morphine," Williams said. "This is definitely not something you want to experiment with."

The drug is so potent that the Federal Drug Administration won't allow wildlife agents to use it on animals within 30 days of hunting season, because it might poison the meat, Williams said.

Only licensed veterinarians have access to the drug, Williams said.

The vials were stolen from the car of a department veterinarian who was in the area to help with an elk relocation effort.

Several other items were stolen from the car, including a flight helmet, Williams said, indicating it may have been an unplanned foraging.

"It seems like this was just a random car burgle," Williams said. The drug helps to immobilize the elk quickly, so the animals can be safely transferred without hurting themselves. The biologist shoots the elk with a tranquilizer dart from a helicopter, Williams said.

Radio collars are being placed on the animals in the area for an elk population study in Yakima, Williams said.

Williams said the department notified several area hospitals in the hopes that someone would bring the drugs in.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

MISSING DRUGS

Police want help

Anyone with information is asked to call the Union Gap Police Department at (509) 248-0430. Callers can remain anonymous.

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