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Deadly opioid 40 times more powerful than fentanyl smuggled into Canada inside PlayStations, basketballs
The video call is grainy, but it's crystal clear what the person on the phone is trying to sell: illicit drugs, packaged and ready to be shipped to Canada. The seller, who goes by the name Kim, says he sells cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and nitazenes, a powerful class of synthetic opioids most people have never heard of — but which can be up to 43 times more powerful than fentanyl. It can kill people, right? So, I just want to make sure that you know that, the CBC journalist asks in a secretly recorded phone call. That is the game, the seller replies. The seller is one of the 14 people the CBC's visual investigation unit spoke to in text messages and phone calls after finding them through ads posted by users on major social media platforms such as LinkedIn, X and Reddit and e-commerce websites advertising nitazenes for sale. WATCH | How synthetic opioids get into Canada: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Worse than fentanyl: How smugglers get a new, deadly drug into Canada A CBC News visual investigation tracks how deadly and super-potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes make their way into Canada, where they have killed hundreds of people. With open source support from investigators at Bellingcat, CBC finds hundreds of ads for nitazenes online, posted to social media and e-commerce sites, and talks to the sellers behind them to expose how these deadly drugs get smuggled to Canada. These ads, posted in the open, contain contact information that put CBC in touch with drug dealers who claim to be part of international criminal networks. CBC did not purchase any illegal substances. Nitazenes, which have never been approved for medical use and are Schedule 1 drugs under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, have increasingly been turning up in drug busts across Canada. Last year, two lab busts in Quebec alone may have accounted for more than a million counterfeit pharmaceutical oxycodone pills, which were actually protonitazepyne, a type of nitazene — or analog — according to the RCMP. Nitazenes have killed hundreds of Canadians over the past four years, according to data collected by CBC's visual investigations unit from coroners across the country. [North Americans] not only are the largest consumers of nitazines, but really have the biggest problem as it relates to the number of deaths, said Alex Krotulski, director of the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education in Pennsylvania, a toxicology lab that tests for nitazenes in Canada and the U.S. This is really becoming an established drug class of novel synthetic opioids. A more potent high Nitazenes aren't nearly as popular as fentanyl and its analogs, but they offer a more potent high, making them appealing to drug dealers. Drug users might not even know they're consuming nitazenes, which can be laced into counterfeit pills. It makes me angry, said Montreal resident Christian Boivin after CBC shared its findings with him. Boivin's 15-year-old son Mathis (new window) died of a nitazene overdose last year after consuming what he thought were oxycodone pills. "[These sellers] don't have a conscience. They're bad people and they just want money… they don't care about lives." Mathis's story isn't an isolated case. Because public-facing statistics group them as non-fentanyl opioids, CBC reached out to coroners in all 13 provinces and territories to compile data on the total number of deaths from nitazenes in Canada. The data received was incomplete — for example, Manitoba only provided statistics for 2024 — but indicates there have been nearly 400 deaths directly attributed to nitazenes or suspected to involve nitazenes since 2021. The true number of deaths is likely even higher. I guarantee you because of the variability in toxicology testing, the variability in practices and variability in funding availability… [the number of deaths] is underreported, said Donna Papsun, a forensic toxicologist at Pennsylvania-based NMS Labs, which tests samples from across Canada. If they're not looking for it, you can't find it. Going by the available data, the most deaths were in Alberta, with 121 since 2021, followed by Quebec with 91 and B.C. with 81. We're worried that this will continue to rise as an ongoing threat, said Dan Anson, director general of intelligence and investigations for the Canada Border Services Agency. Sellers reveal how they smuggle drugs One of the ways that nitazenes make their way into Canada is through sellers who advertise on social media networks by posting images of powders overlaid with contact information. Online ads are how this market functions right now, Anson told CBC. CBC's visual investigations unit, with support from open-source investigators at Bellingcat (new window) , found hundreds of ads in user-generated posts for more than a dozen types of nitazenes on social media platforms, including X, Reddit, LinkedIn, Behance (a graphic design website owned by Adobe), and e-commerce websites in India such as Exporters India, Dial4trade and TradeIndia. They surfaced by the dozens in Google image searches for keywords related to nitazene analogs. It often took mere minutes to receive a reply after responding to an online ad. Sellers were quick to share videos of their labs and products, even offering a step-by-step guide on how they would ship the drugs to Canada: first, by mislabelling the packages, then by concealing them inside PlayStation 5s, deflated basketballs, teapots and Chinese herbal packages. They would then be shipped via courier or the mail. Previous reporting (new window) on the topic in the U.K. even had the drugs hidden in dog food and catering supplies. One seller told a CBC reporter that shipments of nitazene could even be delivered the same day from Detroit, Mich., to Windsor, Ont. You'll see some pretty bizarre levels of creativity when it comes to importing illegal drugs, said Anson. They're coming from online marketplaces ... and they're going to come through postal courier. When reached by CBC for comment, LinkedIn, Reddit and Adobe removed the posts containing ads that were flagged. X did not respond to a request for comment and the flagged posts were still live at the time of publishing. A Google spokesperson said it complies with valid legal removal requests from the public and authorities. Dial4Trade and Exporters India, two India-based e-commerce platforms where ads were found, told CBC they added restrictions to block nitazene ads. TradeIndia, another platform, said it removed the flagged ads. A global network It became clear that sellers of nitazenes are spread across the globe, and aren't always who or where they purport to be online. On the e-commerce site TradeIndia, next to the heading Etonitazene Powder, was a picture of a brown powder offered by a Chinese biotech company. On its website, the company states nothing is above the human health. It has an address listed in Shanghai that doesn't exist on Google Maps. But the company was quick to explain why the address didn't exist when asked in a secretly recorded phone call. It's very dangerous to sell in China, a man who went by Jerry told a CBC reporter during a call with a Mandarin translator. Jerry said he and his partners needed a fake address to make the company seem real, but also so they couldn't be discovered by Chinese authorities. Videos inside overseas drug labs To show they were legitimate distributors, they shared videos from their lab — and said the name of the CBC reporter and the date to prove the video's authenticity — and showed us past shipments to Canada. They even offered to send samples of nitazenes for free to test for purity. But the sellers weren't just from China. CBC spoke to sellers who claimed to ship from the U.S., the U.K., India, even the Philippines. Over video, one seller who said they're from the U.K. showed shipment records that he said were for drugs going to Grande Prairie, Alta. Like any global trade, some nitazene sellers said they were struggling with the impact of U.S. tariffs. A person representing a company called Umesh Enterprises that claimed to be based out of India said nitazenes are coming from India.... due to the issues going on between the U.S. and China with the tariffs, they said during a call. There's been a lot of blockage from China so…. we go with India. The speaker, like many of the sellers, acknowledged that importing nitazenes to Canada is illegal and knew how lethal these synthetic opioids can be. [These sellers] don't care how many people they take down or how many families they hurt, said Toronto resident Dale Sutherland, whose 22-year-old son Corey died from an overdose involving a nitazene in 2022. It's very frustrating…. we have to have more regulations, more strict penalties. In response to CBC's findings, Canada's fentanyl czar, Kevin Brosseau, said in a statement the emergence of nitazenes, and other highly potent synthetic opioids, is something I am concerned about and am taking very seriously. Brosseau pointed to the federal government's recently tabled Bill C-2, or Strong Borders Act (new window) , which will give Canada Post more authority to open mail and remove barriers to law enforcement inspecting mail during an investigation. Critics of the proposed act (new window) say that it would curtail civil liberties. This month, a coalition of more than 300 civil society groups demanded the complete withdrawal (new window) of Bill C-2, warning it would expand government surveillance. Eric Szeto (new window) , Jordan Pearson (new window) , Ivan Angelovski (new window) · CBC News ·
Hamilton Spectator
06-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Halton's most wanted: One arrested, one still on the run
One of Halton's most wanted suspects has been arrested in Montreal, while another remains at large, according to Halton Regional Police. On June 4, officers from the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), with assistance from Montreal authorities, arrested Raffaele-Giulio Draicchio, 26, who was initially charged in February 2024 in connection with an auto theft investigation in Oakville. At the time, Draicchio and three other individuals were arrested after being found in possession of two stolen Toyota 4Runners, along with various tools and devices commonly associated with high-tech auto theft. Draicchio was charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 (three counts), possession of break-in instruments, possession of an automobile master key, and possession of a device to obtain computer services. He was later released on bail, but failed to appear in court in May 2025. As a result, police laid an additional charge of failing to re-attend court. He was transported back to Halton following his arrest and was held for a bail hearing. His arrest comes as part of the HRPS's Halton's Most Wanted program, which launched on Jan. 20, 2025. The initiative aims to publicize the names and faces of the region's most dangerous offenders in an effort to generate investigative leads and bring them to justice. Despite this recent development, police say Matthew Flannigan, 33, remains outstanding and is considered dangerous. On July 22, 2023, Flannigan was stopped by an officer on Plains Road East in Burlington. Police allege the officer had grounds to arrest Flannigan under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, but a violent struggle ensued. The officer sustained a broken leg, and Flannigan fled the scene at high speed. He has not been seen since. Flannigan is wanted on multiple charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a prohibited device, possession of a firearm contrary to a prohibition order (two counts), and possession of a prohibited firearm with ammunition. He is described as 33 years old, 170 pounds, five-foot-nine, with brown eyes, long brown hair that may be braided, a scruffy beard, and tattoos of skulls on both forearms, as well as the letters 'ABG' on the side of his neck. Police advise the public not to approach Flannigan if spotted. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the 3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 905-825-4777, ext. 2316. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at . A cash reward of up to $2,000 may be available for information leading to an arrest. Photos and additional details about both individuals can be found at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A new harm reduction group is creating a safe space to do drugs in St. John's
In response to an increasing number of overdose deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador, a new group of harm reduction advocates are opening what they say is St. John's first overdose prevention site. Overdose Awareness and Response St. John's (OARS) provides safe use supplies and naloxone, and its founder says both volunteers and nurses trained in overdose intervention are on hand. "Whether that's folks that are street-entrenched or just folks downtown partying, we provide a space where people can do drugs in safety," said Luca Schaefer. Schaefer describes the operation as similar to a supervised consumption site, which are controversial in Canada. The Health Canada website describes such sites as "a safe, clean space for people to bring their own drugs to use, in the presence of trained staff. This prevents accidental overdoses and reduces the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV." Individuals or organizations who want to open a supervised consumption site can ask the federal government for an exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, but OARS has not yet made an application. In contrast, overdose prevention sites — which Health Canada also calls urgent public-health needs sites — "are established on a temporary basis to respond to urgent needs in a specific region or community." Ottawa can authorize the provincial health minister to set up one of these sites, but in an emailed statement to CBC News, spokesperson Khadija Rehma said OARS has not yet contacted the Health Department. "We appreciate the valuable work of community organizations and volunteers to ensure safe substance use supports and services," the statement said. Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services spokesperson Mikaela Etchegary said the provincial health authority supports harm reduction efforts, but hasn't established an official partnership with OARS. Rigel Penman, a volunteer with OARS, told CBC News the group hasn't yet applied for legal exemption because it's still in talks with various levels of government. Penman said OARS is trying to set up as "quickly as possible," especially with summer around the corner, and says the group decided not to wait for what could be a lengthy application process. WATCH | Harm reduction advocates create pop-up overdose prevention site in St. John's: The site won't supply or provide substances, Schaefer said. "If using in the space is what they need at the moment, then we're able to provide that support. And if not, they're free to take what they need," she said. For now, the site will be a pop-up tent in downtown St. John's — a setup that's "able to move and be wherever is needed or necessary," said Schaefer. OARS has run the site twice so far, on the evenings of May 23 and May 30. Schaefer says public response has been mixed, with some people approaching to get supplies, and others expressing curiosity or negativity. "This group is addressing and providing support to a marginalized and at-risk population," she said. "We should be looking to our most vulnerable people and asking ourselves what we're able to do to step up." Overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites were a talking point during the latest federal election, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre calling them "drug dens" and a "bizarre social experiment" and vowing to restrict them. According to Health Canada, supervised consumption sites operate in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. The first site opened in Vancouver in 2003, and the model spread throughout the country in the ensuing decades. In 2016, as overdose deaths skyrocketed, several unsanctioned overdose prevention tents sprung up in the city's Downtown Eastside — ground zero for Canada's opioid crisis. Activists at the time told CBC the pop-up sites were an effort to save lives without waiting for sluggish bureaucratic approval. Last year, however, Ontario implemented a new law banning drug consumption sites near schools and child-care centres. That law forced the closure of nine sites in Ontario, despite a court injunction allowing them to remain open while a judge to examines the law's constitutionality. Schaefer says she's ready to respond to concerns from the community. In April, the RCMP warned of rising drug toxicity deaths in the province, and said cocaine is now the leading drug responsible for overdose people died from consuming drugs in Newfoundland and Labrador last year. Last month, police seized a record amount of fentanyl from a St. John's trailer — enough to kill nearly half the province. Schaefer says OARS is responding to those statistics. "There's a lot of reasons why people use drugs," she said. "They shouldn't have to worry about whether or not the drugs that they're gonna take are going to kill them." OARS outreach advocate Loo Vatcher says Newfoundland and Labrador is in desperate need of better overdose prevention. "This world is hard enough for all of us, and whether we like it or not, people are going to use substances," they said. "It's really important that we meet people where they're at." OARS will run a site once a week for now, but Vatcher says its long-term goal is to set up an indoor location to host safe use and harm reduction services. For that to happen, OARS will be fundraising more money, applying for government grants and continuing its advocacy. Vatcher said volunteers want to "put a bit of pressure on the government to do what's right, to help us create the safe space for people who deserve it." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
Global News
28-05-2025
- Global News
Over $3.2M worth of drugs off the street in massive Ontario drug bust
Four people have been arrested and millions of dollars worth of drugs are off the street in what London police are calling the largest fentanyl seized in the force's history. In a press conference on Wednesday, police announced they had seized more than $3.2 million worth of illegal drugs, including $2.77 million worth of fentanyl, $465,500 worth of crystal methamphetamine and $47,400 in cocaine. Police also seized five firearms, including a semi-automatic pistol, $247,944 in Canadian currency, and $5,526 in American currency, among other items. London's police chief said the bust caused a significant disruption to drug trafficking and violence in London. 'Today's announcement highlights the critical importance of strong enforcement and community collaboration in addressing the opioid crisis and associated violence in our community,' said Chief Thai Truong. Story continues below advertisement 'Since 2019, the opioid crisis has had a devastating impact on our community, claiming on average 120 lives each year in London alone. More than 80 per cent of these tragic deaths are directly linked to fentanyl. This crisis is not just local, it extends provincially and nationally.' View image in full screen Over $2.7 million seized in largest fentanyl bust in London police history. Via London Police Servince X Deputy Chief Paul Bastien touched on the dangers the drugs pose to the community at the press conference. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Estimated to be about 100 times more potent than morphine, Bastien warned that just two milligrams of fentanyl — or the size of a few grains of salt — can be lethal, depending on the purity and individual's tolerance. 'While crystal methamphetamine does not carry the same level of toxicity in terms of overdoses as fentanyl does, its long-term effects are devastating,' Bastien warned. Story continues below advertisement Det. Sgt. Jon Meinen says the investigation started in November 2024 following a tip from the community that led to the discovery of a 'sophisticated drug trafficking network set up with ties to Toronto and to Hamilton.' On April 29, 2025, London police along with the help of provincial, Toronto, and Hamilton police forces, executed six search warrants at three addresses in London, two locations in Toronto and one location in Hamilton. Four suspects were located and arrested. They are facing a total of 117 offences, including the production of a schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, specifically the production of fentanyl. During the execution of the warrant, Meinen said police also seized equipment commonly used to manufacture fentanyl, including cooking apparatus masks, gloves, digital scales and packing materials. 'Taken together, this evidence revealed a sophisticated and well-established operation, one that was taking highly potent fentanyl, processing it with various additives, preparing it for sale, and eventual consumption,' Meinen said. Two of the three men arrested have since been released on bail with a third set to appear in court Friday. Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call the London Police Service or Crime Stoppers.
Cision Canada
26-05-2025
- Cision Canada
CBSA investigation leads to 5 year prison sentence for Nanaimo resident Français
VANCOUVER, BC, May 26, 2025 /CNW/ - On May 21, 2025, Cody Edward Ranger, a resident of Nanaimo, B.C., was sentenced to five years imprisonment (less time served) along with a lifetime firearm prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample. Ranger pleaded guilty in Nanaimo Provincial Court to the following charges: One count of Possession for the purpose of trafficking contrary to Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; Two counts of unauthorized possession of a loaded prohibited firearm contrary to Section 95(1) of the Criminal Code In 2022, the CBSA launched an investigation after three firearm suppressors were intercepted by border services officers at Vancouver International Airport Air Cargo Operations between August and October 2022. In May 2023, CBSA criminal investigators, with assistance from the Vancouver Island District RCMP Emergency Response Team, executed search warrants on a residence and two vehicles in Nanaimo. A number of illegal firearms and various quantities of illegal drugs were seized, including: two loaded, prohibited 9mm ghost guns; a loaded, prohibited shotgun; a 9mm restricted rifle with readily accessible ammunition and suppressor; two non-restricted rifles; nine over-capacity magazines; 119 g of methamphetamine; 335 g of cocaine; 15 g of MDMA; 10 g of psilocybin; and 22 electronic devices. On May 15, 2024, the CBSA charged Ranger with multiple firearm and drug possession charges under the Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Quote "The Canada Border Services Agency is committed to keeping illegal drugs and prohibited firearms out of our country and away from our communities. Our officers and criminal investigators work diligently to secure the border and ensure that those who break the law are held accountable." - Nina Patel, Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Canada Border Services Agency Associated Links Quick Facts Smuggling and other Customs Act and Criminal Code contraventions may lead to arrest, criminal charges and prosecution in a court of law. The CBSA screens goods, including international mail and courier items, coming into Canada and examines more closely those that may pose a threat to the safety of Canadians. For the latest enforcement statistics, visit Canada Border Services Agency seizures. Canada is investing $1.3 billion to bolster security at the border and strengthen the immigration system, all while keeping Canadians safe. Information available on the Border Plan is available here: The Government of Canada's Border Plan: significant investments to strengthen border security and our immigration system - If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line toll-free at 1-888-502-9060.
