Narcotics squad says man had ‘gray death’ in Cherokee shopping plaza

Schamell Powell

Schamell Powell

A drug combination known as “gray death” was available in a Cherokee County shopping plaza recently, authorities said.

But the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad got a tip and tracked Schamell Powell to a retail center on Ga. 92 in Woodstock, Channel 2 Action News reported.

They think Powell, who agents heard was selling heroin in the county, planned to meet a buyer.

MORE: 'Gray death:' Heroin, fentanyl mix kills DeKalb woman

“Confronted him and found a small amount of gray death on his person, and another on the inside of the car he was driving,” said Phil Price, commander of the agency.

Gray death is a mix of heroin and fentanyl, the pain killer, or the stronger carfentanyl, Channel 2 reported.

“The carfentanyl is the elephant tranquilizer. So it's particularly deadly,” Price said. “If you happen to get a dose that has that in there, you could overdose very easily and die."

News of the bust surprised some shoppers.

“It's very scary stuff,” Victoria Roberts said. “And our young kids are getting involved with this and it's an epidemic.”

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