Drug bust near Medical Center uncovered more than 50 lbs. of fentanyl in an apartment, records show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man accused of having dozens of pounds of fentanyl in his apartment near the Texas Medical Center is now out on bond.

Khawaja Mansoor Munir, 41, is charged with possession with the intent to deliver and manufacture a controlled substance. He was arrested Thursday and posted his $75,000 bond on Sunday.

Authorities told ABC13 that about 50 pounds of fentanyl, including about 20 pounds of methamphetamine and smaller amounts of heroin, were found in his second-floor unit at the Co-Op Apartments on Main Street near Kirby.

"Thinking about it, if it was not found, makes me have jitters," Dr. Asim Shah, a professor and the executive chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, said. "It was so much fentanyl, like you mentioned, that it could have killed so many people. This is very scary."

Numerous agencies were involved in the raid on Munir's apartment, which lasted more than 12 hours. It is unclear what Munir was specifically doing with the drugs.

Court records show Munir faced a similar charge but for a smaller amount of drugs last year. The charge was dropped in January, with court documents citing "insufficient evidence."

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill half a million people. One kilogram is roughly 2 lbs. The 52 pounds of fentanyl found in Munir's apartment is approximately 23.58 kilograms. Based on the DEA's math, that is more than 11 million people that could have died.

"It's scary because of the amount you mentioned," Dr. Shah said. "It's scary because it is so close to population. It is scary because it is so close to the Med Center. It is scary because it was so close to the main area and nobody found it. I am so glad that they were able to find it."

As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, the DEA reports.

Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and can be used to control pain for patients in hospitals.

Dr. Shah said that one of the many problems with fentanyl, like what was found in Munir's apartment, is that it's not regulated. He said the potency can vary.

"Because there's no quality control, there's no control," Dr. Shah said. "It could be more dangerous."

Munir is set to return to court on July 10.

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