A Lindsay man has been charged in relation to the distribution of ‘purple heroin.’

According to police, the illicit substance is a mixture of heroin and Fentanyl and has been linked to a “spike” in overdose deaths throughout Kawartha Lakes.

“Fentanyl is an opioid-based painkiller and when used alone – or added to other street drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and heroin – has a higher risk of causing a fatal overdose,” reads a media release issued by police last week.

“In Lindsay over this past weekend alone, five overdoses from a combination of heroin mixed with Fentanyl were reported to the City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service.”

In response, officers conducted an investigation into the sale of purple heroin from an address on William Street North in Lindsay, executing the search warrant just after 1 p.m. on May 28.

Police say a quantity of purple heroin and cocaine was located, in addition to a prohibited weapon.

A 40-year-old Lindsay woman was arrested at the scene, while an arrest warrant for a 35-year-old man who also resided in home.

According to police, Jonathan Lawrence Haight was arrested in connection to the case on Wednesday (June 5).

He’s been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of a prohibited weapon.

He’s slated to appear in Lindsay court on July 11.