May 19, 2021- 7:20 p.m.
Massive drug lab bust
Police had a big cleanup on their hands after a massive drug lab bust in the Lower Mainland.
An investigation and search of a commercial warehouse in Port Coquitlam on April 19 led to a large illicit drug-manufacturing site containing multiple pieces of laboratory and drug manufacturing equipment.
Officers located 37 kilograms of chemicals associated with the manufacturing of fentanyl.
Police experts estimate the potential finished yield would have been 26 kilograms of pure fentanyl and that the lab was capable of producing that volume on a weekly basis.
Two milligrams of the drug can be fatal, and the seizure prevented approximately 13 million potentially fatal doses from reaching the street.
It took three days to gather evidence and safely dismantle the lab due to the large size of the operation, Surrey RCMP say.
Several agencies co-ordinated on the investigation and cleanup: Surrey RCMP Drug Unit, the Federal RCMP Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team, Lower Mainland Integrated Forensics Identification Section, Health Canada chemists and Coquitlam RCMP.
“This investigation is a prime example of effective multi-jurisdiction co-operation,” said Surrey RCMP Supt. Aaron Paradis.
The seizure dealt a multimillion-dollar blow to organized crime, police say.
Charges have not yet been laid, however the investigation is ongoing.
