Waterloo Regional Police have issued a warning for residents to avoid taking counterfeit Xanax which appears to available in the area.

U.S. prosecutors say Canada Drugs’ business model is based entirely on illegally importing unapproved and misbranded drugs not just from Canada, but from all over the world.

Canada Drugs was charged with selling counterfeit cancer drugs online over a three-year period ending in 2012.

The seized drugs, according to police, tested positive for W-18, which is a synthetic opioid originally developed as a pain reliever but is 100 times more toxic and powerful than fentanyl.

A regional investigation that started eight months ago resulted in the Delta Police seizing a large cache of drugs, weapons and money.

Canadian law enforcement is just one of the many agencies worldwide involved in the operation.