NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. -- The New Hanover County sheriff thought his office had made one of the largest drug seizures in the state. But it turns out, the fentanyl they found was actually sugar.

  • Officials found 13 pounds of sugar, not fentanyl
  • Three people were arrested and charged still for possessing other drugs
  • Officers don't know what they were doing with the sugar

They charged three people with trafficking 13 pounds of fentanyl, worth around $2 million.

The sheriff's office says sugar can sometimes produce a false positive with the initial testing kit they used.

The attorney's office ordered the dismissal charges against Charles Batts, William McIntire and Wanda more, and their bonds have been reduced from several million dollars to $10,000 each.

The three still face charges of possession of heroin and marijuana, among others.

The sheriff's office says it's not clear what the trio was doing with the 13 pounds of sugar.

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