Major drug bust in Canada
54 kilograms of fentanyl, “massive” amounts of precursor chemicals, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis. In addition, a total of 89 firearms, including handguns, a .50-calibre machine gun, AR-15-style rifles, and submachine guns, many of which were loaded and ready to be used, small explosive devices, ammunition, silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armour, and $500,000 Canadian (US$359,000) in cash. Related searches in other locations resulted in the seizure of another 310 kilograms of methamphetamine. The deadliest in the cache of arms is the Browning M2 .50-calibre heavy machine gun, which is belt-fed, recoil-operated, heavy barrel, and air-cooled. The standard ammunition is a C44 armour piercing tracer which is fired from a disintegrating link belt, fed from the right or left, and operated and fired electrically or mechanically. This flexible weapon can be adapted to various combat vehicles and ground mounts. It may be mounted on vehicles or a tripod for ground operations, or dismounted to provide supporting fire. Indeed, it is a treasure trove of drugs and guns! A Diwali gift for Canada.
Fentanyl seized totalled 54 kilograms, which is a main ingredient in much of the toxic illicit drugs that have killed nearly 48,000 people across Canada between January 2016 and March 2024, according to the Canadian government.
The combined fentanyl and precursors seized at this facility could have amounted to over 95.5 million potentially lethal doses. Of particular concern is the discovery of several tons of unregulated chemicals believed to be used to produce P2P (Phenyl-2-Propanone), a Class A scheduled precursor essential for manufacturing crystal methamphetamine. The P2P manufacturing method has been the primary method used by Mexican cartels to produce methamphetamine for years.
The scene of action was Falkland, located on Highway 97 between much larger Kamloops and Vernon. The unincorporated community has fewer than 1,000 residents and is best known for its giant hillside Canadian flag and annual Falkland Stampede.
Falkland, situated in British Columbia, has an extensive coastline, and bustling marine ports and shares an international border with three US states – Washington, Idaho, and Montana – as nexus points for the importation of chemicals used to create industrial quantities of illegal narcotics.
The Falkland lab, when it was raided by police, had enough chemical precursor on hand to continue producing drugs for months without restocking its supplies, according to investigators.
Investigators have made one arrest in connection with the drug lab and the properties in Surrey. Gaganpreet Randhawa, a Sikh, is considered the main suspect and is currently in custody facing multiple drug and weapons charges, according to the RCMP.
Fentanyl is a lethal drug, with just 2 ml needed to kill a person. It is 50 times more potent than heroin, and 100 times more so than Morphine. It is also known as the “Doomsday Chemical”. In 2017, the DEA provided information to India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, resulting in the takedown of an illicit fentanyl laboratory in Indore, India in 2018. DEA reporting indicates an Indian national associated with the Sinaloa Cartel initially supplied the organization with fentanyl precursor chemicals, NPP and ANPP, after which a Chinese national also affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel would synthesize the fentanyl and traffic it from India to Mexico, for ultimate delivery in USA.
Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma, who had to be recalled, due to worsening Indo-Canada relations, had recently expressed that “The Khalistanis have made Khalistan into a business in Canada. In the name of Khalistan, they do human trafficking, drug trafficking, gun-running, and all. They earn a lot of money through that and also through gurudwaras and they use part of that money for all nefarious jobs.”
Punjab today suffers heavily because of extortion rackets run from Canada and gangsters based in the North American country bringing drugs from Pakistan through drones and selling them across Punjab. A part of this money goes back to Khalistani extremists in Canada. Even in Canada, many pro-Khalistan extremists are part of the drug trade. Intergang rivalries among gangsters from Punjab are common in Canada nowadays.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau faces mounting pressure to resign due to his blatant encouragement of Khalistani separatists, which has led to rising discontent within his own Liberal party. In April 2024, Justin Trudeau addressed the Khalsa Parade in Downtown Toronto, which was marked by loud pro-Khalistan slogans being raised. The Ontario Sikhs and Gurudwaras Council (OSGC) states that Vaisakhi, also called Khalsa Day, commemorates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699 as well as the Sikh New Year. The group has been organizing an annual parade down Lake Shore Boulevard for many years; the council claims that it is the third-largest parade in the nation and that it regularly draws thousands of spectators.
The politics of drugs and drug violence can lead to catastrophic consequences for Canada. Nobody expected the “Super lab” in Canada, that too in remote Falkland. Perhaps, Trudeau would have thought like the American journalist, Hunter S Thompson, who famously remarked “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.” Whether the Canadians would accept this view, the coming days will tell.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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