Edmonton police have charged four people after uncovering an elaborate opium poppy operation in the city’s northeast. Officers from the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Section executed a search warrant on July 4 in the area of 34 St. and 195 Ave. N.W., discovering roughly 60,000 poppy plants behind a residential property. The crop is estimated to be worth between $160,000 and $500,000.During the two-day investigation, police also found additional poppy seeds and doda powder, a substance made by grinding opium poppy pods. Doda is used to brew a tea with analgesic effects and carries a high risk of addiction.Opium poppies contain morphine, a powerful painkiller, and can be processed into heroin and other opioids. .Under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, opium is classified as a Schedule 1 substance, reserved for the highest-risk drugs.“An opium grow of this size is rarely encountered in Canada and even though there was no indicia of further processing, due to the volume of plants, it was likely being grown to be sold on the illicit market,” said Staff Sgt. Marco Antonio of the EDGE Section. “Any opioid drug, including doda, consumed outside the direction of a doctor or when illicitly produced, can pose significant health risks to the consumer, leading to severe addiction and harm to the community.”Those charged in connection with the operation are 42-year-old Sukhdeep Dhanoa, 33-year-old Sandeep Dandiwal, 30-year-old Gurpreet Singh, and 40-year-old Kulwinder Singh. Each faces charges of production of a controlled substance under Section 7(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.Anyone with information about this or other crimes is asked to contact the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
