EDMONTON – A 33-year-old man has been arrested and charged after police seized a large quantity of fentanyl earlier this week.
Members of the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement Unit searched a residence in the area of 102 Avenue and 117 Street on Wednesday. The search resulted in the seizure of the following items:
- 824 fentanyl pills with a street value of $41,200
- 14 grams of cocaine with a street value of $800
- $8,300 cash seized as proceeds of crime
“Fentanyl is becoming more widely available in our city,” said Insp. Darren Derko with EPS EDGE Unit. “It’s a relatively new and very dangerous drug that simulates the effects of heroin and oxycodone.”
READ MORE: RCMP, health officials warn of dangers of fentanyl after counterfeit drugs found in Edmonton area
Fentanyl is a synthetic drug that appears in the form of pills or powder. The pills are often referred to as ‘greenies’ on the street and is sometimes sold as OxyContin, because the pills look similar.
Numbers released by RCMP in March showed fentanyl was responsible for more than 100 deaths in Alberta in 2014. That’s a significant jump from six deaths in 2011 related to fentanyl.
READ MORE: Street drug fentanyl killing more Albertans
Danny Ho Ming Chui has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000.
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