Big Isle police recovered 636 grams of fentanyl in March

Hawaii island police recovered 635.97 grams of fentanyl in March, marking the highest amount of illicit fentanyl recovered since officials began tracking fentanyl-related arrests and quantities in January 2024.

Officials said that islandwide, there was one fentanyl related arrest and no fentanyl pills were recovered in March.

The monthly number is higher than the 2024 total, when police rounded up 562.94 grams of illicit fentanyl and made 50 fentanyl-related arrests from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024.

Just two milligrams of illicit fentanyl — equaling to a couple grains of salt — is a lethal dose. Hawaii police said that the hundreds of grams recovered in March was enough to kill 317,985 people.

In January and February, Hawaii police recovered 4.48 grams of illicit fentanyl and made three fentanyl-related arrests. March’s number brings the total amount of illicit fentanyl recovered in 2025 to 640.45 grams.