Copyright Caledonia Courier
The Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP have seized thousands of litres of material used to produce illicit drugs found in shipments inspected at CBSA’s Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility in Delta, B.C. On Thursday, Oct. 30, the two police agencies announced the seizure of 4,300 litres of precursor chemicals coming from China, found in a pair of marine containers destined for Calgary, Alberta. The containers were examined on May 13 and 15 after being flagged and referred to border services officers by CBSA Pacific Region intelligence personnel working in the National Targeting Centre. Within the containers, CBSA officers found 60 clear jugs and 20 blue drums containing 3,600 litre of 1,4-butanediol, a precursor for gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB, also known as the “date-rape drug”); 500 litres of popionyl chloride, a fentanyl precursor; and 200 litres of gamma butyrolactone (GBL), also a “date-rape” drug as it metabolizes into GHB once ingested. “This seizure demonstrates the important role our border services officers and intelligence personnel play to keep our communities safe. We will continue to work closely with the RCMP to target those who attempt to smuggle fentanyl and other dangerous substances into Canada,” Nina Patel, CBSA’s regional director general for the Pacific Region, said in a press release. RCMP assistant commissioner Lisa Moreland, regional commander of federal policing for the Northwest Region, said joint efforts like the May seizures “help reduce the risks posed by toxic drugs and support broader public safety goals.” “Strong collaboration is key to protecting the health and well-being of Canadians.” The investigation is ongoing, and to date no one has been arrested or charged.
