A routine traffic stop in Nanaimo led to the seizure of one kilogram of fentanyl, one of the largest seizures of the potent drug in B.C. A Vancouver Island man has been arrested as the investigation continues.
Nanaimo RCMP officers checked a suspicious vehicle near Cassidy Airport on Oct. 10 about 5 p.m.
Officers pulled over the vehicle and arrested the driver. Police found one kilogram of a powdered substance that, after lab testing, has been confirmed to be fentanyl.
> Read the Times Colonist series, On the Front Lines of Fentanyl, here.
Island District RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Tammy Douglas said the seizure is one of the largest for the B.C. RCMP in recent years.
A kilogram of fentanyl can be ordered over the Internet and shipped from China or Mexico in small packages that go undetected by the Canada Border Services Agency.
Fentanyl is so potent — about 100 times more powerful than heroin — that it can be diluted and sold by the gram.
One kilogram of powdered fentanyl can be pressed into a million tablets, with tablets selling for $20 each. That translates to a street-level value of $20 million.
Fentanyl has been increasingly mixed into heroin and cocaine, leading to an alarming spike in fatal drug overdoses.
The powerful opioid was detected in 61 per cent of all drug deaths this year, or 302 deaths, more than triple the number of fentanyl-related deaths for the same period last year.
“Locating and reducing the importation and distribution of fentanyl continues to be a priority for the RCMP, especially given the number of opioid deaths in British Columbia,” Douglas said.
“Our investigation is continuing to look for all those connected and responsible in the alleged trafficking of a harmful illicit substance in addition to determining the ultimate destination for the drug.”
RCMP officers have taken extreme precautions in dealing with and storing the large quantity of fentanyl, given the danger of accidental exposure.
In September, the RCMP released a video of two officers in Kamloops who almost overdosed after they came in contact with fentanyl.
The national force is in the process of distributing naloxone nasal spray, an opioid antidote that can reverse the effects of an overdose and stimulate breathing.
Douglas said the investigation is being handled by the Vancouver Island Federal Serious and Organized Crime Group.
Read the other stories in our series on fentanyl here.
