INDIANAPOLIS -- At the start of 2026, Governor Mike Braun announced there was a major boost in the removal of drugs across the state, leading to a 117 percent spike in opioid seizures since last year. ABC57's Sidney Moore spoke with Sergeant Ted Bohner with ISP to see what sparked this increase. The increase is due to more pro-active policing in the state, and increased sizes of drug seizures especially fentanyl.
Sergeant Bohner says, “I think part of it is with fentanyl. Typically, a fentanyl seizure has been measured in grams, where I think in the past year or so, we've seen the fentanyl seizures being measured in kilos and pounds. So that's been a lot bigger seizures, especially in that category.”
State police have also added upgrades to Sotoxa devices that help keep impaired drivers off the roads. These devices can now detect fentanyl which may help boost these numbers even more in the next year.
State police have been working hard to keep drugs off the streets but with these larger amounts and the non-stop spread of illegal drugs, they are doing what they can to help not only keep drugs out of the state, but impaired drivers off the roads as well.
Sergeant Bohner says, “All the product that we seize are not going into somebody's body. So it's reducing, hopefully reducing drug dependence, and getting people out of that cycle.”