Police have charged the 12 people arrested Thursday in Ottawa after a drug bust revealed that the individuals are manufacturing and distributing fake pills laced with the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Public officials are calling the raid the largest fentanyl seizure in the city's history. Police warn that the counterfeit pill looks identical to other prescription drugs, and is linked to deadly overdose cases in the city.
Six men and four women were arrested in the raid. Two of the twelve were charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.They were located by the police when they raided with search warrants a single family residence, two townhomes, two apartments, and a storage locker in Ottawa.
The Ottawa drug bust yields the largest fentanyl-laced opioid pills to be seized by the police. Officers also report having seized fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Weapons such assault rifles, handguns, stun guns, a shotgun, ammunition, and more than $130,000 in cash, were also found in the bust.
All 12 suspects are expected to appear in court to face charges. Police say that the bust might help lower the number of opioid deaths. Prescribed for chronic pain relief, and 100 times stronger than morphine, fentanyl is tough to detect when added into other drugs, The Star reports.
It is also more addictive and deadlier than any other illicit drugs. Police think that the increase in drug deaths is primarily linked to this drug. The pills are being studied by Health Canada to confirm the presence of fentanyl, the CBC News reports.
The police have released a statement after the Ottawa drug bust, warning the public to avoid buying drugs from non-medical professionals. Other police forces in the US have also issued similar warnings. Recently, police have gathered report that the pills were also being distributed to rural areas of Ontario.
