Federal authorities announced the biggest counterfeit drug bust in Connecticut history on Monday. Seven suspects are charged with running an operation capable of producing 110,000 pills – per hour.

Prosecutors allege the ring was so brazen that they sent more than a thousand shipments of fentanyl and other deadly narcotics through the U.S. mail.

When federal agents raided a garage in East Haven on Sept. 5, they say they found a massive pill mill inside.

“Talked to the landlord and he said it was a fentanyl factory in the back apparently,” Randy Weidner, a neighboring business owner, told NBC Connecticut as agents carted out bags of evidence.

On Monday, prosecutors revealed the “massive quantity” of pills and equipment they found.

“We can confidently say this is the largest seizure of counterfeit pills, weighing in the hundreds of pounds, that we’ve had here in Connecticut," said Vanessa Avery, the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. “They seized several hundred thousand pills, two large pill presses and pill manufacturing equipment.”

The Drug Enforcement Agency estimates the operation may have produced up to two million fake pills.

An arrest warrant outlines a huge drug den operating in plain sight.

Prosecutors allege that Kelldon Hinton, 45, sent more than 1,300 shipments of deadly narcotics from his local post office. Court records said Hinton produced the counterfeit pills in what he called his "lab" -- then sold the products on the “dark web” and used cryptocurrency to conceal the transactions.

Customers thought they were getting prescription drugs, like Xanax, Adderol, oxycodone and Percocet. Instead, tests confirmed that Hinton sent them counterfeits containing fentanyl, meth, cocaine and even deadlier narcotics.

“This operation disrupted a significant source of illicit pills destined for our neighborhood,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

The fentanyl and other narcotics came from China, according to the arrest warrant. Prosecutors allege the shipments went to several of Hinton’s accomplices.

Also charged are:

The investigation began in June 2023, when a confidential informant tipped off the DEA. Hinton's father is a retired police officer, according to federal court records.

This massive drug den may have cost lives, too. Investigators said that an overdose death appears to be related.

“The only safe medications – and this is a message to all the parents out there -- are the ones that come from your health care professional,” said David Lanzoni, the DEA assistant special agent in harge for New England.

Investigators said many of the drugs stayed right here in Connecticut and were sold on the street.

“The pills were being produced right here in Connecticut,” said Lanzoni. “That, to me, is a much scarier thought than stuff coming over the border.”

Hinton and two of his associates are still being held in custody. Four defendants have been released. They face at least 10 years, and up to a life sentence, in prison.