Canada’s organized crime groups are shifting their efforts to producing domestic fentanyl as opposed to importing it from overseas, according to the RCMP.
As fentanyl imports from abroad began to slow down in 2019, gangs began producing it domestically to keep up with the demand,
“The synthesis of fentanyl is relatively complex, when it comes to the importation of chemicals,” James Cooke, who works with the RCMP’s Organized Crime Unit, told CTV News.
In addition to the complex nature of producing the highly addictive and harmful drug, its compound precursors also became illegal substances in Canada last year.
“They do have legitimate uses – some are controlled or regulated by Health Canada, but others are certainly not – and pose significant challenges for law enforcement to be able to enforce their movement across borders and then their movement once they get into a country,” said Cooke.
While prescribed by doctors as an opioid to treat pain, fentanyl often winds up in the hands of criminals and addicts on the street, which has resulted in thousands of overdose deaths in Canada in recent years.
According to Statistics Canada, over 8,000 Canadians died from opioid overdoses last year, averaging 22 per day.
Opioids also accounted for 6,312 poisoning hospitalizations and 28,345 poisoning emergency department visits, as well as 41,938 Emergency Medical Services responses in 2022.
Each of those figures rose dramatically last year when compared to 2022.
Since 2016, 44,592 Canadians have died from opioid toxicity overdoses, much of which was linked to fentanyl.
Last year, 82% of all opioid-related deaths involved fentanyl, up 44% over the last eight years, when Health Canada first began tracking the issue.
According to Cooke, there have been some incidences of fentanyl exportation already, however, they appear to be small quantities that are often transported through the mail.
“Law enforcement continues to tackle transnational organized crime wherever it exists, whether it’s in the fentanyl market, whether it’s in other commodities,” said Cooke.
“Our focus is on those who are profiting, those who are moving controlled substances across borders, or trafficking them domestically.”
The RCMP seized over 15,500 grams of fentanyl at the border between 2018 and 2021.