Two men have been arrested, and one has been charged in connection with a pill containing fentanyl that was found on Esgenoôpetitj First Nation. The two were arrested during the afternoon and evening of April 20, 2017 on the Esgenoôpetitj First Nation.
Thirty-five-year-old Jesse Joe of Fredericton appeared in Miramichi court on April 21, 2017. He is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and breach of probation. He has been remanded in custody pending a court appearance on April 25.
A 60-year-old man from Esgenoôpetitj First Nation was also arrested. He was released pending a later court appearance.
Since April 10, 2017, several people from Esgenoôpetitj First Nation have been hospitalized from suspected overdoses of fentanyl. Meanwhile, police are continuing to investigate the death of a 35-year-old woman on April 11 on Esgenoôpetitj First Nation. Police are awaiting toxicology results in that case to determine the exact cause of death.
Earlier in the investigation into the sale of drugs possibly containing fentanyl, police seized a blue pill with "Percocet 5" written on it. That pill was confirmed by Health Canada to contain fentanyl.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Neguac RCMP at 506-776-3000 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by texting TIP212 + your message to 'CRIMES' (274637), or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca