Man Wanted For Suspected Possession Of 'Extremely Dangerous' Opioid
MANCHESTER (CBS) -- Manchester police have announced that they are searching for 24-year-old Preston Thorpe.
Using a search warrant to enter his last known location, a Sentinel Court apartment, police found traces of an extremely lethal drug known as carfentanil on April 27.
"Carfentanil is the highest grade opioid on the market commercially sold and it is usually used for elephant tranquilizers," explained Lt. Brian O'Keefe of the Manchester Police Department. "It can go through your skin, it's extremely dangerous and it can be very deadly. One small grain, equivalent to a grain of salt, it could kill you."
Officials who raided Thorpe's apartment said it appeared as though they just missed him, that he had left in a rush, and that he may still be in the area hiding.
Thorpe is described as 6'3, about 210 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Police also said his right arm has a sleeve tattoo and there is another tattoo on his left arm.
He may be traveling in a black Audi with a New Hampshire temporary dealer registration of 2089050.
According to police, he was last seen on April 27, and has ties to California so he may be headed in that direction.
Three deaths linked to this drug were reported to police in New Hampshire last month.
Officials do not know if Thorpe is specifically related to those overdoses but they ask that the public help locate him.
O'Keefe said, "Anyone who possesses carfentanil must have some very nefarious acts or actions that they are thinking of doing with it, and it can prove to be deadly to people, so he is dangerous. "