Mounties in B.C. raid 'largest and most sophisticated' drug lab in Canadian history

Mounties in British Columbia have discovered the "largest and most sophisticated" drug-production laboratory in Canadian history, federal investigators announced Thursday, describing the facility as a "super lab" operated by international organized criminals.

The facility, located east of Kamloops in the rural community of Falkland, was capable of producing several kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA per week, David Teboul, an assistant commissioner with the federal RCMP in the Pacific region, announced at a news conference in Surrey.

"The precursor chemicals, in combination with the finished fentanyl products seized at this location, could have amounted to 95 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl, which have been prevented from entering Canadian communities and markets abroad," Teboul said.

Investigators conducted co-ordinated raids on the Falkland property and several associated properties in Surrey on Oct. 25, seizing an estimated 390 kilograms of methamphetamine, 54 kilograms of fentanyl, 35 kilograms of cocaine and 15 kilograms of MDMA, police said.

A .50-calibre machine gun was among the 89 firearms investigators also recovered from the Surrey properties, along with 45 handguns, 21 AR-15-style rifles and submachine guns, "many of which were loaded and ready for use," Teboul said.

Investigators have made one arrest in connection with the drug lab and the properties in Surrey. Gaganpreet Randhawa is "considered the main suspect" and is currently in custody facing multiple drug and weapons charges, according to police.

"As you know, Mexican cartels don't have their headquarters in Canada, so they're at times out of reach of Canadian law enforcement," Teboul said when asked why more suspects had not been taken into custody in the case.

"I think it's time for our justice system to catch up to the reality of the danger of these drugs," the assistant commissioner said, adding authorities in Mexico are not currently involved in the investigation.

Randhawa is scheduled to appear in Surrey provincial court on Nov. 14.

The facility in the rural community of Falkland, B.C., was capable of producing several kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA per week, according to police. (RCMP)

Authorities believe the drug lab was connected to the recent seizure of more than 30 tonnes of methamphetamine precursors seized earlier this month in Enderby, just 40 kilometres west of Falkland.

No charges have been laid in that seizure, but police said the chemicals were likely destined for one or more super labs capable of creating hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine.

"British Columbia is in a particularly unique, if not precarious, position because of our geography," Teboul said, describing the province's extensive coastline, bustling marine ports and shared international border with three U.S. states – Washington, Idaho and Montana – as nexus points for the importation of chemicals used to create industrial quantities of illegal narcotics.

The RCMP were reluctant to blame any one organized crime group – whether Mexican cartels or domestic motorcycle gangs – for the lab's operation Thursday.

"This is transnational organized crime, and the allegiances within transnational organized criminals are very fluid," Teboul said. "This is all about making money. These are individuals that operate by way of convenience and opportunities, and they're not necessarily associated to one particular group that wears funny patches on their backs or these kinds of things."

Nevertheless, the assistant commissioner said the criminals involved in operations on this scale are "highly motivated and highly sophisticated" and will form alliances among other groups as opportunities to make money arise.

The Falkland lab, when it was raided by police, had enough chemical precursor on hand to continue producing drugs for months without restocking its supplies, according to investigators.

Investigators have made one arrest in connection with the drug lab and the properties in Surrey. Gaganpreet Randhawa is "considered the main suspect" and is currently in custody facing multiple drug and weapons charges, according to police. (RCMP)

In a statement Thursday, RCMP Insp. Jillian Wellard described the lab as the largest fentanyl and methamphetamine facility ever discovered by Canadian law enforcement.

"This is undoubtedly a major blow to the transnational organized crime groups involved, and a great step towards ensuring the safety of Canadians, and the international community," Wellard said.

In August, five men were arrested and charged after Mounties raided a similar drug lab in the Metro Vancouver suburbs.

Investigators uncovered the operation after executing search warrants in Maple Ridge and Coquitlam, including one property that housed a "sophisticated, economic-based synthetic drug lab that was capable of producing multi-kilograms of MDMA per cycle," police said at the time.

The RCMP estimates it will cost at least $500,000 to remediate the Falkland lab site, but that estimate is expected to climb, Teboul said.