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THE police are investigating the apparent disappearance of a quantity of the drug fentanyl from an unnamed public health facility, said a statement from the Ministry of Health on April 15.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery, according to the US Department of Drug Administration.

However, illicit fentanyl sold by drug cartels is a prime driver of overdose deaths estimated at 80,000 people per year in the United States.