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BC  

Large fentanyl drug bust

Police in Vancouver announced a major fentanyl drug bust in the Lower Mainland, Tuesday.

The operation, named Project Tainted, began last October after a spike in fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths. Enforcement focused on individuals and groups producing and distributing drugs laced with the deadly chemical.

“The addition of fentanyl into already dangerous street drugs is a relatively new trend, which has exposed the inconsistent and callous production processes within the criminal drug trade,” says VPD Supt. Mike Porteous.

“The swath of devastation and death that’s been left in the wake of fentanyl-laced drugs is unprecedented for local health authorities and police.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid or painkiller similar to heroin, but can be up to 100 times more toxic than other narcotics. It’s also been associated with about 75 overdose deaths in B.C. last year. Police say users had either knowingly or unknowingly consumed fentanyl that was mixed with a variety of other drugs.

On Feb. 17, members of the Vancouver Police Department, RCMP Federal Policing and the Burnaby RCMP executed 11 search warrants throughout Vancouver, Burnaby and North Vancouver.

Eight people were arrested as a result of the project, with additional warrants being issued for suspects who were not located during the searches.

Seizures

  • Seven vehicles
  • $215,000 cash
  • Pill press
  • 13,000 oxycodone
  • 29,000 fentanyl pills
  • 147,000 pills believed to be Alprazolam
  • 503,000 coloured pills (yet to be analyzed)
  • 9.5 kilograms of crack cocaine
  • 5.5 kg of powdered cocaine 
  • 19.5 kg of marijuana
  • One kg of methamphetamine
  • Three kg of hash
  • 0.5 kg of heroin
  • 2,200 flaps of heroin
  • Various other drugs, including steroids and methamphetamine
  • Various drug paraphernalia
  • Four guns
  • two replica guns
  • One bulletproof vest


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