Lab tests show white powder found during drug bust is sugar

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — It was at one point known as one of the biggest fentanyl busts in the state. Now, WWAY is learning that while the substance found might make you hyperactive, it’s perfectly legal and likely in your own pantry.

A spokesman with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office says the results recently came back from a private testing facility.

Turns out instead of fentanyl, it was nearly 13 pounds of sugar. The sheriff’s office used the Scott Company Drug Testing field kit and owner Ian Scott explains it was a false positive.

“Cooking flour does not mimic fentanyl in our synthetic opiates test. Certain variance of sugar, sugar containing certain components can,” Scott said.

However, the tests do not give a 100% certainty.

“We always recommend have a confirmatory test done on it in a state crime lab that has access to a mass spectrometer gas chromatography machine,” Scott said.

On July 11, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Gang Task Force executed a search warrant for 1408 Kornegay Avenue. During the search, deputies found 12.7 pounds of a powdery substance that tested positive for fentanyl. They also found drug paraphernalia, marijuana and heroin. Three people were then arrested.

So far, the sheriff’s office has sent back 12 previous fentanyl cases to make sure everything checks out. Nine have come back so far as positive for fentanyl.