Latest news with #Schedule1
2 days ago
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 ·
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
REPO and Schedule 1 receive the highest honor an indie game can possibly get outside 2 seconds in a Nintendo sizzle reel: Geoff Keighley telling the world they're outselling some genuine AAA juggernauts
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This years' Summer Game Fest has come to an end, and among some of the bigger reveals, like Resident Evil 9, or an absolute bait-and-switch around Hollow Knight: Silksong, was a focus on games made by smaller teams, or first-time devs showing off their debuts. and while two of those didn't really feature at the show itself, they were breakout hits that got a massive nod right at the top of the broadcast. In a list of the most-played Steam games of the year, two particular titles stood out, if nothing else than for the fact that their art was somewhat more simple than the AAA offerings they sat alongside. Those two games were REPO, which Geoff Keighley says has amassed 13 million players, and Schedule 1, the drug dealing simulator that has a touch of the old-school GTA and a touch of the tycoon game to its retro-ish art designs. For these two games, made with deliberately simple art by small indie teams, to be standing alongside some of the genuine heavyweights that have released this year, is genuinely very impressive. That's something their devs have acknowledged themselves. REPO's devs say they went "from crossing [their] fingers for rent to having millions of players." Schedule 1's had a tougher time, one slightly marred by legal difficulties that its team seemed to want very little part in, but it's still been a runaway success. Granted, a name-drop from Geoff Keighley isn't a huge achievement in and of itself, but to get his attention by beating some of the world's biggest publishers and studios into the top ten most-played games of the year is very impressive. Keep all the way up to date with our Summer Game Fest schedule.
Ottawa Citizen
23-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa man charged after heroin found in package at airport
A 47-year-old Ottawa man is scheduled to appear in court in late June after being charged in connection with the discovery of heroin in a package delivered from Italy to the Ottawa International Airport. Article content Article content A news release from the Ontario Provincial Police on Friday said the charges were laid following a joint investigation with the Canadian Border Services Agency, which determined the contents of the package were heroin following a secondary inspection at the airport on May 8. Article content The joint investigation then led to a police search of a residence on Red Castle Ride in the Manotick area on May 20, the OPOP said, adding that one person was arrested there. Article content Harvinder Singh Malhi has been charged with importing and possession of a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act, police said. He has been released from custody and scheduled to appear in court in Ottawa on June 24. Article content Article content Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New Schedule 1 feature teased: What to expect with the upcoming update
(Image via YouTube/Schedule 1) Schedule 1, the drug-dealing first person sim game, is getting another game-changing feature with its upcoming update. Teased by the developer, the feature is slated for beta testing soon. While the details are still emerging, the addition of the feature can refine the gameplay by refining how the players manage the illicit operations. Here is all we know about the tweak that promises better control over the storage while hinting at a smarter and much more efficient experience in the gameplay. New Schedule 1 feature complete details The next update is about to introduce the new filter system for the employee lockers. With it, the players will be now able to create the whitelists or the blacklists, specifying clearly which items and the quality level are allowed in each of the storage slots. This means there will be no more accidental stashing of low-tier meds right next to premium products. It is definitely a win for the organizers. This feature even addresses the long-standing player requests for better inventory control, thereby ensuring the replacement of the clunky beds with multifunctional, compact lockers. Schedule 1 Update Drops Soon - Here's EVERYTHING Coming The Schedule 1 beta testing for features will kick off between May 23 and May 24, 2025. It will be accessible through Steam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Beyond the storage fixes, the update even gives priority to space optimization with the option to replace beds with lockers, addressing the long-standing complaints of wasted space. The lockers occupy less space than the beds. So, free up the room for the production line or décor. The sneak peek by Tyler even hints at future categorization tools, like route-specific filters, for handlers, thereby suggesting that deep management layers will come up. What more is coming alongside storage fixes? While the Schedule 1 locker system filters are stealing the spotlight, the roadmap of Schedule 1 teases a broad level of customization. The planned Schedule 1 new features include property remodeling and product bundles. It will allow the players to tailor the facilities to the strategies. The Management Item Filter will even allow further refinement of the workflows, ensuring restrictions on the stations or the racks—perfectly ideal to minimize the bottlenecks in busy factories. Despite the excitement, some fans have criticized the pace of the update. The players accused Tyler of sluggish development while urging him to expand the team. Despite this, the developer is focused and is sticking to the original timeline for the full release in 2025. While the complaints continue to linger, consistently rolled-out Schedule 1 new features like the Storage Unit and the Jukebox show progress despite it not being as fast as some might demand. The updates of Schedule 1 might feel gradual, but every tweak ensures that the addictive management hoop of the game is refined. The locker filters altogether can revolutionize the organization of operations. So, for anyone eager to test the changes, the beta will offer you an early look. Just do not forget to report any found bugs—community feedback is valuable to Tyler for polishing the update to perfection. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Ottawa Citizen
18-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Traffic stop in Ottawa for stolen plates leads to multiple drug, other charges
A traffic stop conducted after automated readers flagged stolen licence plates on a vehicle resulted in dozens of drug, weapon and other charges against two people from Ottawa early Saturday. Article content Article content The Ontario Provincial Police said officers from the Ottawa detachment stopped the vehicle on Coventry Road in the east end just past midnight after being alerted to stolen licence plates by an Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) camera. Article content Article content The investigation led to the arrest of both the driver and passenger, a news release said, adding that officers seized a replica firearm, drugs and multiple stolen pieces of identification. Article content Article content Jari Manner, 43, was charged with: six counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000; possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000; possession of an imitation weapon for dangerous purpose; two counts of trafficking in Schedule 1 substances; possession of instruments for forgery; six counts of identity theft; driving a motor vehicle without a licence; operating a motor vehicle without insurance; driving a motor vehicle without a permit; and driving a motor vehicle with an open container of liquor. Article content Lindsay Gnass-Wetzel, 36, was charged with: six counts of possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000; possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000; possession of an imitation weapon for dangerous purpose; two counts of trafficking in Schedule 1 substances; and six counts of identity theft. Article content
