Liquid fentanyl has been discovered for the first time in Canada, after police in Hamilton, Ont. seized the potentially fatal drug during a raid earlier this year.
Hamilton police found a small container of what they initially thought was GHB, also known as gamma hydroxybutyrate or the “date rape drug,” after executing a search warrant at a home on Marilyn Court on May 26.
Police charged three suspects in the raid and seized a large amount of hash, cocaine, psilocybin “magic” mushrooms, ritalin, oxycodone, hydromorphone, synthetic THC, marijuana and cash worth an estimated $230,000.
READ MORE: Canadian couple charged for allegedly importing, exporting fentanyl
Investigators then sent the liquid sample to Health Canada’s Drug Analysis Service (DAS) laboratories and after consulting with the RCMP determined it was the first time that fentanyl — the potentially fatal painkiller — was identified in Canada in liquid form.
“It is believed that this is the only identified seizure of fentanyl in a liquid state within Canada at this time,” Const. Steve Welton said.
“It is important that the community know just how dangerous these drugs are and how important it is for the community to report any information about anyone who may be illegally trafficking these drugs.”
WATCH: Fentanyl identified in more than 40 per cent of street drugs tested in Canada
Police said fentanyl can show up on the Canadian black market either by legal prescriptions being diverted illegally or through the smuggling of bootleg versions of the drug from countries such as China.
Global News obtained data from Health Canada late last month that showed fentanyl was found in 2,503 drug samples submitted by Canadian law enforcement agencies so far in 2016, a 43 per cent increase from the 1,749 drug samples submitted in all of 2015.
Ontario saw a dramatic 35 per cent spike in the number of drugs containing fentanyl this year compared to last year, according to Health Canada, with 609 samples testing positive for the drug to date in 2016 up from 450 last year.
READ MORE: October fentanyl seizure in Calgary the 4th-largest in Alberta’s history: ALERT
A Health Canada spokeswoman said the drugs analyzed likely represent a “subset” of those seized by law enforcement agencies, which would in turn speak to a larger number of drugs available on the black market.
Police said a lethal dose of the painkiller is estimated by Health Canada to be as little as two milligrams in a typical adult — the equivalent of two grains of salt. Fentanyl is also estimated to be up to 100 times more powerful than morphine.
READ MORE: Experts sound alarm after 40% increase of fentanyl-laced street drugs tested in Canada
The opioid “public health crisis” has spread across the country touching almost every province, with several provincial health agencies rushing to implement new measures to battle the deadly drug amid increased police reports of fentanyl mixed with illicit drugs.
On Oct. 12, Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins announced a new opioid strategy in the province to combat the increasing number of overdoses and deaths. The plan includes offering the opiate overdose medication naloxone free of charge going forward.
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