Question Period Note: Fentanyl Production in Canada

The RCMP’s October 2024 seizure of a significant clandestine drug super lab in BC has led to questions about the extent of fentanyl production in Canada and fentanyl exports to the United States.

• Protecting Canadians from death and other potential harms associated with illegal substances continues to be a priority for the Government of Canada. Concrete measures have been put in place to stem their flow across the country.

• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) continues its efforts to detect, investigate, and disrupt criminal threats to public safety by targeting transnational and serious organized crime groups involved in the production and trafficking of illegal substances, including opioids.
• As a result, 44 clandestine drug labs have been dismantled by the RCMP and local police services since 2018, protecting Canadians from millions of potentially harmful doses of drugs.
• Last month, in BC, the RCMP took down the largest clandestine super lab in Canada’s history, preventing more than 95 million potentially lethal doses of synthetic drugs from reaching Canadian communities.
• The Government of Canada remains committed to addressing the illegal drug supply and targeting the organized criminal networks involved in these markets.
If pressed on fentanyl exports to the United States:
• Despite evidence of domestic production occurring in Canada, there is little to no evidence from either Canadian or U.S. law enforcement that Canadian-produced fentanyl is an increasing threat to the United States.

On October 25, 2024, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Federal investigators conducted a series of coordinated enforcement actions across Metro Vancouver, and executed search warrants on a massive drug super lab in Falkland, BC, and associated locations in the city of Surrey, BC. Federal investigators seized 54 kg of fentanyl, massive amounts of precursor chemicals, 390 kg of methamphetamine, 35 kg of cocaine, 15 kg of MDMA, 6 kg of cannabis, 89 firearms, small explosive devices, and $500,000 in cash.

During the course of the investigation, members of the RCMP became aware of several large shipments destined for international export. In response, Federal investigators executed an additional series of search warrants, and seized 310 kilograms of methamphetamine prior to it departing Canada. The suspect is currently in custody, and has been charged with numerous drug, and firearms-related offences. Although there is no evidence to suggest that the suspect had or intended to ship the substances to the U.S., this file demonstrates the RCMP’s commitment to disrupting the production and exportation of harmful substances.

To address the threat of synthetic drugs, the RCMP’s Federal Policing program is committed to detecting, investigating, and disrupting the most significant criminal threats to public safety in Canada. The RCMP’s intelligence and investigative efforts target all aspects of the illegal drug market to disrupt the involvement of key transnational and serious organized crime (TSOC) groups in the production and trafficking of drugs like fentanyl. The RCMP’s operational efforts have led to a number of significant operational successes, such as the most recent seizure in October 2024 in Falkland, B.C.

To counter the domestic production of synthetic drugs, the RCMP leads the National Chemical Precursor Diversion Program (NCPDP), which is committed to limiting the flow of legitimate chemicals to illegal drug producers and traffickers by providing outreach and education to the Canadian chemical industry. This program relies on the public-private partnership model in which the RCMP fosters relationships with the Canadian chemical industry to enhance awareness of illicit drug production methods. The information shared assists in identifying specific traffickers and organized crime networks involved in the acquisition of precursors and essential chemicals for the purpose of producing and trafficking synthetic drugs.

The RCMP also operates Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) teams in strategic locations across Canada to target organized crime groups involved in the production of illegal substances, and provide specialized support to local law enforcement in detecting and dismantling clandestine drug laboratories. These teams have the training and equipment necessary to safely dismantle clandestine drug labs and process hazardous by-products.

Moreover, the RCMP has established Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) teams across Canada to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and their institutions through the investigation and disruption of significant threats, including organized crime networks and illegal drug trafficking, in conjunction with municipal, national, and international partners. FSOC teams have highly developed specialized skills that are leveraged to liaise and coordinate with all levels of law enforcement, intelligence, and the public and private sector to lead and assist in enforcement measures.

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