Sheriff Mat King : New Synthetic Drug ‘Krokodil’ Turns Skin Scaly Discovered in St. Clair County

Dangerous drug ‘krokodil’ discovered in St. Clair County, Michigan

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) – Law enforcement officials in St. Clair County, Michigan, were shocked to find a new and highly dangerous substance known as krokodil during a recent search warrant execution. The white powder, identified as Desomorphine, is a synthetic drug that has never before been seen in the county and is rarely found in Michigan.

The street name ‘krokodil’ is derived from the drug’s gruesome effects on the skin, which can cause it to turn green and scaly like that of a crocodile. The drug has been associated with severe health complications, including the need for amputations.

Sheriff Mat King explained, “The name krokodil comes because their skin turns green, often times scaly like a crocodile. And there’s been people who’ve had amputations.”

The discovery of krokodil was made while authorities were investigating an individual involved in drug trafficking. The cheap substitute for heroin poses a significant threat due to its highly addictive nature and harmful effects on the body.

Desomorphine, the official name of the opioid, is not a new substance on the black market. However, its presence in Michigan raises concerns for law enforcement and addiction specialists, as reversing overdoses caused by the drug is not as straightforward as with other opioids.

Sheriff King highlighted the challenges posed by synthetic drugs, stating, “When you talk about these synthetics that we know narcan is rarely as effective with them, we don’t want to see our deaths rise with our overdoses.”

The individual caught with krokodil in St. Clair County was found to be in possession of 80 doses of the substance. Police suspect that the drug may have been purchased online. Using a testing machine called TruNarc, law enforcement officials were able to confirm the identity of the substance through laser technology.

Krokodil first emerged in Russia 14 years ago before making its way into the United States. The drug causes severe damage to the skin near injection sites, resulting in a reptilian appearance with permanent effects.

Sheriff King warned, “This is actually damaging the cells that often times there’s not a recovery of those cells so it’s long-term damage to your body that cannot be reversed.”

Aside from the discovery of krokodil, Michigan health officials recently linked multiple overdoses to a new synthetic sedative used by veterinarians called Medetomidine. This substance, similar to Desomorphine, poses challenges for overdose reversal with narcan.

These alarming discoveries underscore the constant evolution of the drug landscape in Michigan and the ongoing efforts to combat the spread of dangerous substances in communities.