B.C. drug lab could have produced enough fentanyl to kill everyone in Canada 4 times
The amount of fentanyl necessary to cause a fatal overdose varies from person to person, but the generally accepted size of a potentially lethal dose is just two milligrams – about the size of a few grains of sugar.
During a recent bust at a drug lab in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, RCMP officers say they found enough raw material to produce 160 million doses of fentanyl that size.
The 320 kilograms of fentanyl that Mounties say the home lab could have produced would theoretically be enough to kill every single person in Canada four times over and still have enough of the drug to kill most of Ontario a fifth time.
The BC RCMP's Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response team, which conducted the June 2 seizure, told CTV News the size of the bust is "typical" for its operations.
"The scale and quantity of illicit drugs and precursors seized in this case is consistent with most other takedown investigations," said a spokesperson in an email.
The BC RCMP's Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) unit said in a news release that the CLEAR team had located the "significant cache of chemicals used in synthetic drug production" during a search of a home on Extrom Road.
Among the items seized were 160 litres of propionyl chloride – which RCMP described as a "Class A precursor" – and more than 2,000 litres of "industrial solvents commonly used in the illicit production of synthetic drugs," police said.
Investigators also found "other signs that a clandestine laboratory was in the early stages of being constructed," according to police.
No arrests were made during the search, Mounties said, adding that charges have not yet been laid in the investigation.
"The recovery of these precursors represents a significant disruption to the illicit synthetic drug market," said Supt. Bert Ferreira, the officer in charge of the BC RCMP FSOC Border Integrity Program, in the news release.
"More importantly, this seizure prevents additional deadly drugs from harming our communities that continue to suffer from the opioid crisis."
Last year saw the most illicit drug overdose deaths ever recorded in B.C., and the first four months of 2022 put the province on pace to eclipse the record again.
There were 722 overdose deaths from January to April, an average of 180.5 per month or more than six per day.
Fentanyl was recorded in the systems of 83 per cent of those who died of overdoses in B.C. during the period.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.