RCMP federal investigators say they have dismantled the largest drug superlab in Canadian history.
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul the RCMP’s commander of federal policing for the Pacific Region, told reporters on Thursday that several months of investigative work into a transnational organized crime group involved in the production and distribution of massive quantities of illicit drugs revealed the most sophisticated drug superlab in Canadian history.
Police seized illegal firearms, synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals, he said.
Over the weekend, Teboul said numerous enforcement actions and search warrants were executed related to the drug superlab in Falkland, B.C., and other locations in Surrey.
“As a result, investigators seized approximately half a tonne of hard drugs, including … 55 kilograms of fentanyl, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine, 35 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of MDM, and six kilograms of cannabis,” Teboul said.
He added that investigators seized 89 firearms, including handguns, AR15 assault rifles and submachine guns, many of which were loaded and ready to use.
Explosive devices, ammunition, firearm silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armor and $500,000 in cash were also seized.
Teboul said a large amount of precursor chemicals that were seized could be used in the production of fentanyl and MDMA.
“Of a particular concern, is the discovery of several tonnes of unregulated chemicals, believed to be used to produce P2P (phenyl-2-propanone), a Class-A scheduled precursor essential to the manufacturer of crystal methamphetamine,” he added.
“Manufacturing methamphetamine using P2P has not been seen in Western Canada until now and the P2P manufacturing method has been the primary method used by Mexican cartels to produce methamphetamine for years.”
The precursor chemical, along with the fentanyl finished product, could have amounted to 95 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl, which have now been prevented from entering Canadian markets at home and abroad, Teboul said.
Teboul added that the amount of potentially lethal doses of fentanyl “could have taken the lives of every Canadian at least twice over.”
He said the crime group could have received more than $485 million in profits.
Gaganpreet Randhawa was identified as the main suspect, and arrested by Federal Policing Group-6 investigators. Randhawa is currently in custody and has been charged with numerous drug, and firearms-related offences.
Earlier this week, federal investigators revealed they dismantled a criminal operation on Vancouver Island and arrested six suspects believed to be involved in the distribution of illicit drugs, unregulated cannabis, and contraband tobacco.
Thousands of counterfeit cannabis-laced edibles were seized, including chocolate bars, candies and chips with packaging resembling popular name-brand snacks.
Police said the edibles contained THC and likely had been cross-contaminated with other substances.
On Oct. 3, investigators executed search warrants at Green Coast Dispensary in Port Alberni and Coastal Storm Dispensary located in Lantzville, a suspended stash site in Port Alberni and a storage and production facility adjacent to Coastal Storm Dispensary.
Mushrooms, contraband tobacco, a shotgun, two ATM machines and more than $400,000 in cash were also seized.