The Canadian Police on Friday said they have busted the “largest and most sophisticated” illicit drug “super-lab” in the North American country. The investigators have arrested on Gaganpreet Randhawa, who is facing numerous drug and firearms-related charges.
According to an Associated Press report, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the organised crime ran the operation related to mass production and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine across Canada and abroad.
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According to the Canadian government’s website, Fentanyl is a very potent opioid pain reliever. A few grains can be enough to kill a human being.
Fentanyl is a main ingredient in many of the toxic illicit drugs that have killed nearly 48,000 people across Canada between January 2016 and March 2024, according to the Canadian government, the AP report added.
“Methamphetamine is a powerful synthetic stimulant. It is illegal, highly addictive and very dangerous to your health,” the Canadian government’s website said.
The officers had served search warrants on the drug lab in British Columbia’s Falkland last week and other locations in Surrey, the AP report added.
What was found in drug bust?
According to the RCMP officials, 54 kilogrammes of fentanyl, “massive” amounts of precursor chemicals, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of cocaine, MDMA and cannabis were seized during the raids.
The investigators said they also found a total of 89 firearms, including handguns, AR-15-style rifles and submachine-guns as well as small explosive devices, ammunition, silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armour, and $500,000 Canadian (US$359,000) in cash.
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, head of the RCMP’s federal policing programme in British Columbia, told Canadian website Vancouver Sun that a point of concern were tonnes of chemicals used to make crystal meth as per the Mexican cartel P2P formula, not seen in Western Canada until now.
Teboul said the dismantling and clean-up of the Falkland lab has already cost more than $1 million.