Fentanyl lab in Quebec’s Eastern Townships raided by police

An illegal fentanyl lab in Quebec’s Eastern Townships was raided by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) Friday.

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According to the SQ, equipment to make the pills, as well as about one kilogram of the drug, mixed with Xanax, was found in Potton, about 140 km away from Montreal.

READ MORE: A province-by-province look at opioid-overdose stats, including fentanyl

Police explained it’s the first time such a lab has been found in Quebec, indicating that the drug is becoming “more known” in the province.

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The raid was conducted by the SQ in collaboration with Boucherville police after a joint investigation looking into illegal labs in the south shore started in November.

READ MORE: Fentanyl linked to three Quebec City deaths

Fentanyl is a potent, synthetic opioid pain medication estimated to be between 50 and 100 times as potent as morphine.

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“People are under the mistaken feeling that just because it’s a pill it can’t kill you,” explained doctor Mitch Shulman, Global Montreal’s health expert.

“The reality is it’s such a potent narcotic. If you take too much, it will stop your breathing and you will die.”

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READ MORE: Canada’s surging opioid crisis: ‘hodgepodge’ overdose tracking leaves true magnitude unknown

In the last year, hundreds of people across the country have died due to fentanyl-related overdoses.