GHB

Halifax police have seized what they say is the largest amount of fentanyl ever in the city, and three people are facing charges as a result.

They got a tip about drug activity at a home in late August, and on Sept. 4, they used a warrant to search the home on Elmwood Avenue in Dartmouth.

They found 6.2 kg of fentanyl in clumps, 1400 pills of fentanyl, and 10.5 litres of GHB, or more commonly known as the date-rape drug. They also seized a Glock switch, which is an illegal, black-market device used to make the handgun automatic.

Staff Sergeant Nick Pepler spoke to reporters Wednesday. He said this seizure is “not even in the realm of what we’ve seized in the past.”

“To put this into perspective, the amount of fentanyl alone could potentially cause more than three million deaths,” said Pepler.

“We believe that is the largest seizure of fentanyl and GHB in Atlantic Canada.”

He says fentanyl is popular in the community and common to see when they search for drugs, but the amount they typically find is for individual use.

This is a sign that larger amounts of the drugs are coming into the area, he says.

There was more than 8 pop bottles’ worth of GHB—10.5 litres—and just a pop bottle cap full of it has the effect of about six beers, Pepler said.

They do not know how pure the fentanyl is yet. According to Pepler, they are waiting for the official test results, but a Health Canada lab has confirmed it is fentanyl.

The bulk street value of the fentanyl is about $500,000, while the GHB would be worth about $5,000.

Police believe the drugs arrived here through organized crime, probably involving people both nationally and internationally, Peppler said.

Three people were charged after the September search, but they say they believe others were involved.

Peppler said drugs of this amount have been devastating in provinces like British Columbia and Ontario.

“While it’s not surprising that large quantities of these drugs are now making their way into Nova Scotia, we should all be concerned about the potential impact to our communities and to our loved ones,” said Pepler.

“I urge drug users to be cautious. When you use illicit drugs, there’s a real possibility that that drug could be laced with other substances like fentanyl, increasing the risk of overdose, serious injury and/or death.”