The BC RCMP has announced the successful bust of three drug labs in the Lower Mainland, at least two of which are suspected of producing fentanyl.
It was estimated that the actions take by law enforcement "prevented several million potentially lethal doses" of fentanyl from ending up on the streets.
At a press conference in Surrey on Thursday, Assistant Commissioner David Teboul explained that the busts, which took place between March 26 and 29, were the culmination of an investigation that began in 2023.
The labs in question were located in both residential and commercial buildings in Pitt Meadows, Mission, and Aldergrove. Whether the facilities were owned or rented was not revealed.
Teboul added that two people were arrested, one of whom was said to have training as a chemist. No charges have been laid, and as such, no further information about the suspects was provided.
He did not reveal where the drugs had been slated to end up, but said there was no evidence that they were destined for the United States,
Sgt. Shawn MacNeil of the Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team told reporters that the lab equipment included a double-walled jacketed reaction vessel, which is used to "cook" the chemicals, as well as a device that controls the temperature. Also seized was a smaller manual cooking device, and one that acts like a coffee maker to filter out solids from liquids.
He said the equipment would typically be found in legal pharmaceutical labs, and is not itself illegal to acquire.
