Police arrest four over alleged fentanyl patch sales

Police in Linz have arrested four people suspected of selling around 1,000 fentanyl patches on the drug market over an extended period, ORF reported. The investigation began after a 29-year-old man from Linz survived an overdose in July.

The suspects include a 38-year-old Romanian man from Linz, his 54-year-old mother and his 62-year-old aunt. The 29-year-old man was also arrested. The three relatives are suspected of obtaining the pain relief patches through prescriptions from doctors.

Fentanyl is prescribed for severe pain, including pain linked to cancer or following surgery, and is subject to Austria’s Narcotic Substances Act. The opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to ORF.