Three illicit fentanyl labs were dismantled and two people were arrested — including a chemist — after search warrants were executed in Richmond, Langley, Pitt Meadows, Mission and Aldergrove.
RCMP federal policing investigators conducted the raids between March 26 and March 29, with assistance from local RCMP detachments, leading to the discovery of the labs and the arrests.
The fentanyl production labs found in Pitt Meadows, Mission and Aldergrove were equipped with “specialized chemical processing equipment,” which is often found in academic and professional research facilities, RCMP say.
One of the arrested individuals claimed to be a chemist with an advanced degree in organic chemistry, police added.
This was part of enforcement action that began in the summer of 2023 against a B.C.-based organized crime group, RCMP explained, and it was initiated by the RCMP Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response (CLEAR), which was investigating the importation of precursor chemicals and commercial lab equipment that could be used for synthesizing fentanyl.
The enforcement action is an example of how fentanyl production is countered at its source, said Asst. Commissioner David Teboul, commander of the Pacific Region’s federal policing program, adding organized crime groups are becoming “increasingly more sophisticated in their scientific and technical abilities.”
“The RCMP continues to disrupt the production of fentanyl that is impacting Canadian communities,” Teboul said.
However, he added, there is no evidence here or in other cases that the labs are making fentanyl to export into the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he’s imposing tariffs on Canada due to fentanyl flowing south of the border.
The Canada Border Services Agency assisted in the investigation.
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