SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating drugs smuggled into a Kansas county jail and various state prisons.
The investigation of the synthetic drug K2 being introduced into the Sedgwick County Detention Facility started in September, according to Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter.
A liquified version of the substance has come coated on mail sent to inmates at the jail. Sedgwick County officials learned that Kansas Department of Corrections officials have seen similar issues at state prisons for some time, according to Easter.
Investigators identified a group of inmates receiving letters sprayed with the liquified K2 and intercepted over 70 pieces of the mail.
Inmates were also controlling the sale of K2 inside the jail and charging $10 for a small square of the K2 laced paper and up to $500 for a full sheet, according to Easter. Inmates would light the paper on fire and smoke it.
In conjunction with the Kansas Department of Corrections, authorities identified the same organization sending the K2 laced paper to state prisons and the Sedgwick County Detention Facility.
December 2, was the first medical call inside the facility where Sedgwick County had an inmate, "overdosed, but you can’t really overdose on K-2" but was having adverse reactions due to smoking K-2,” Easter said during a Friday news conference.
Over a period of 24 hours, the jail had seven inmates that had smoked K2 and had adversed reactions. One was transported to a local hospital.
At 4p.m. Thursday, investigators conducted a large scale operation inside the jail. Deputies found K2 on various sheets of paper in one particular jail pod and evidence of distribution of the drug, according to Easter. Investigators also located K2 in other pods at the facility.
The KDOC identified two primary suspects who are responsible for sending K2 into the facilities. Sedgwick County deputies were able to locate the suspects at a hotel the west side of Wichita and made an arrest. During the arrest, deputies located what they thought was dynamite and summoned Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms authorities to the scene. Officials were still working the scene late Friday afternoon, according to Easter.