‘Hopefully this sends a bit of a message’: Guelph police seize $80K of fentanyl

Guelph police say the city’s fentanyl supply has taken a bit of a hit after officers seized $80,000 worth of the deadly opioid.

The drug unit carried out two search warrants overnight in the city’s west end, police announced on Wednesday.

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A 44-year-old man and a 59-year-old man were arrested and face a long list of drug-related charges.

Police said a warrant for the arrest of a third person has been requested.

Along with 266 grams of purple and blue fentanyl, police said they seized Canadian and American currency, two crossbows, a police baton and pepper spray.

Officers also recovered $2,000 worth of stolen property.

“We’ve given it a hit, but it’s a small piece,” said Const. Mike Gatto when asked about the impact the operation had on fentanyl trafficking in Guelph.

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“It’s a big problem, not only in Guelph but everywhere. It’s a small piece but we’re continuing to work on it and we’ll do one hit at a time as we go.”

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The investigation into the trafficking of blue and purple fentanyl in Guelph started in January.

Gatto said Guelph’s drug unit made a connection to Owen Sound and with the help of police there, they were able to identify a source of fentanyl.

Last week, Guelph police arrested two people and seized about $9,500 worth of blue fentanyl.

“That was a piece of this entire investigation,” Gatto said.

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Police believe the colours of fentanyl, blue and purple, are a type of branding, but officers have come to find those colours come with a higher potency.

“When you see purple or blue, it’s a type of fentanyl to be more concerned over,” Gatto said. “Dealing with any kind of drug, we have to take a ton of precaution for our own safety.”

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While almost $90,000 worth of fentanyl has been taken off the streets in less than a week, Gatto said the work does not end here and several drug investigations in Guelph are always underway.

“We want to continue to make Guelph a place where people do not want to deal these drugs,” he said.

“Hopefully this sends a bit of a message.”