MONTREAL -- Montreal police announced Monday that they have seized more than $480,000 worth of illicit drugs, including fentanyl and heroin, following two raids in Lachine.
The drug seizure follows three overdoses that took place in recent weeks in the same apartment block in Lachine.
Two people are also facing charges in relation to these events.
Investigators from the organized crime unit, with the help of patrollers, carried out the searches on July 14 in housing and a mini-warehouse.
This is what they seized:
- 85.3 g of fentanyl
- 3829.41 g of cocaine
- 996.98 g of heroin
- 1,714 amphetamine tablets
- 50.48 g of crack
- 136 Cialis tablets
- 120 Viagra tablets
- 190.91 g of psilocybin
- 833.82 g of cannabis
- 319.74 g of an unknown powder
- 9 g of hashish
- 4.22 litres of GHB
- 658 Xanax tablets
- 1 blotter
The fentanyl seizure is the second largest carried out in Montreal since 2017, when the city was experiencing a rash of overdoses related to the drug.
To manage it, Montreal police took measures to slow the spread of fentanyl in the city.
A major investigation called Project Asterios was launched, leading to the arrest of 24 people in 2019.
Police say the group was headed by a member of the Hells Angels and included members of the Minotaurs MC West Montreal gang.
Several of them, including 38-year-old Dany Durand, who police say led the group, pleaded guilty on July 3 to various charges, including gangsterism, drug trafficking, conspiracy and participation in gang activities.
Police are reminding the public that fentanyl is an extremely powerful drug and can be used by traffickers to cut other drugs, including heroin.
Cases involving fentanyl are given priority treatment by the Montreal police.
