Fentanyl as fake heroin: Edmonton gang unit shuts down home-based lab

In one of the first discoveries of its kind, an Edmonton gang unit has shut down a lab that was processing fentanyl to be passed off as heroin.

Two men have been charged and drugs with an estimated street value of nearly $1 million were seized following an Aug. 8 raid on a home in the southeast Silver Berry neighbourhood, ALERT said Thursday in a news release.

"This is one of the first times we've encountered a production lab specifically set up to produce fentanyl that would be sold under such false pretences," said Insp. Marc Cochlin, officer in charge of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams.

The seizure included two kilograms of processed fentanyl. Police estimate the haul would have been worth about $800,000 had the drugs been sold on the street as heroin.

Cochlin said there have been other cases where street dealers were found to be selling fentanyl and passing it off as something else. This is the first time police have discovered a purpose-built lab, he said.

"It's alarming to see producers harbouring such a blatant disregard for the safety of their consumers and for the safety of the community as a whole," he said.

In 2017, 562 people died from apparent fentanylpoisoning, according to an Alberta Health Service report released in March.

Alberta reported228 fentanyloverdose deaths during the first 18 weeks of 2018.

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Also found in the home were 500 grams of fentanyl powder, five kilograms of a buffing agent and about $900 in cash, the newsrelease said. A 2011 Mercedes-Benz sedan was also seized.

Because of fentanyl contamination in the house, the hazardous material team from Edmonton Fire Rescue was called in to assist. The home has been inspected by Alberta Health Services and has been declared unfit for human habitation.

Remediation requirements are now being determined, said the news release.

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The search and arrests are the culmination of an investigation that began in December 2017.

The two men, aged 21 and 18, have each been charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purposes of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime.

More charges are expected, the news release said.