Police are warning the public about the potential circulation of an incredibly deadly drug in Hamilton, Ont. that’s several times stronger than fentanyl.
Investigators put out the alert following a March 22 seizure that saw a couple of thousand pills taken off the streets that were being passed off as OxyContin.
After testing from Health Canada, the pills were found to contain benzimidazole, also known as nitazene.
The agency insists nitazene opioids are potent and pose grave danger if mistaken for fentanyl or other opioids.
A police spokesperson says the discovery is tied to a “significant” drug and cash seizure on March 22 at addresses in Stoney Creek and Grimsby.
“This included both a substantial quantity of cocaine and over 2,000 pills of unknown contraband designed to look like Oxycodone,” Hamilton police’s Jackie Penman explained.
Two people are facing charges, according to Penman.
The pills are stamped with the letters TCE and look like OxyContin.
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Public health officials say if someone has overdosed on nitazene, it could take several rounds of naloxone to bring an individual back to consciousness.
In February, Quebec City health authorities issued warnings after detecting a similar synthetic drug, protonitazepyne, disguised as prescription oxycodone.
Protonitazepyne is a benzimidazole derivative with opioid effects.
Public health officials working in the Quebec City-area now say it has been increasingly found in the Montreal area since the beginning of 2024.
Last year, Hamilton paramedics responded to 964 suspected opioid overdose incidents, 50 more than the previous high of 914 reported in 2020.
The city had a drop in those numbers during final quarter of 2023, with just 167 calls between October through December, the lowest in any three months in the last three years.
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