An Anchor Point man was arrested Sunday evening in Seward after Alaska State Troopers reported finding fentanyl pills and a loaded gun in his possession.
Nickolas Lancaster, 36, was stopped by Alaska State Troopers on Nash Road as part of a traffic stop, according to a trooper dispatch.
According to troopers, Lancaster was in possession of 101 blue M30 fentanyl pills, 5.75 grams of methamphetamine, just over $5,000, a loaded handgun, packaging materials and a digital pocket scale.
Lancaster was arrested on one count of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree, one count of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree, one count of misconduct involving weapons in the second degree and one conduct of misconduct involving weapons in the third degree.
According to the trooper dispatch, Lancaster was taken to the Seward City Jail.
Alaska Statute says a person commits the offense of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree when they manufacture or deliver any amount of a schedule IA controlled substance or possess any amount of a schedule IA controlled substance with the intent to manufacture or deliver. Heroin and fentanyl are schedule IA controlled substances.
Sunday’s arrest comes roughly a month after two Nikiski residents were arrested in Seward after Alaska State Troopers reported finding more than 150 blue M30 fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, a handgun, more than $9,100 and a digital pocket scale.
Both residents were charged with two counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree, one count of misconduct involving a weapon in the second degree, one count of theft in the second degree, one count of misconduct involving weapons in the third degree and one count of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says is between 80 and 100 times stronger than morphine and is approved for treatment of severe pain. Fentanyl that is illegally made, however, is what’s linked to “most” recent cases of fentanyl harm, overdose and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A health warning created by the Alaska Department of Health in August 2022 says that M30 Fentanyl pills are usually blue, but can also be white. Blue M30 pills are usually stamped to look like real oxycodone pills that would be dispensed by a pharmacist, the flier says. Fentanyl may also come in a rainbow-colored form such as pills that look like candy.
Naloxone, a medication that may reverse an opioid or heroin overdose, comes in the form of a nasal spray and is available for free at multiple locations on the Kenai Peninsula. According to the Alaska Department of Health, organizations on the central Kenai Peninsula that provide naloxone free of charge as part of Project HOPE include Kenai Public Health, Cook Inlet Counseling, Central Peninsula Hospital, Peninsula Community Health Services and the Soldotna Police Department.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
