A six-month Burnaby RCMP organized crime investigation led to the take-down of what police are describing as a fentanyl "super lab" at a Langley farm last month.
Police executed four search warrants throughout the Lower Mainland on Oct. 16 and 17, according to a Burnaby RCMP news release Wednesday.
The raids resulted in the discovery of a clandestine drug lab at a rural property in Langley capable of producing multiple kilograms of fentanyl on a weekly basis, the release said.
Burnaby RCMP's drug and organized crime section, which led the investigation, seized quantities of suspected fentanyl, hundreds of kilograms of precursor chemicals and two vehicles.
"This lab is directly linked to gangs involved in the B.C. gang conflict," Burnaby RCMP Sgt Randy Mortensen said in the release.
Police said it took three days to dismantle the lab and dispose of all the contaminated material and equipment.
"A drug super lab like this poses a serious public safety risk to the entire community," Mortensen said.
Two suspects, a 31-year-old Burnaby man and a 43-year-old Surrey man, were arrested and face charges, according to police, and more arrests are possible as the investigation progresses.
The Burnaby RCMP investigation that led to the raid on the lab was launched after a probe by the detachment's drug and organized crime section brought investigators to a residence in Burnaby.
"As the investigation progressed, the evidence directed the investigation towards other jurisdictions," media spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj told the Burnaby NOW. "Criminals, especially organized criminals, don't know boundaries, so sometimes we have to go to them, wherever they are, in order to stop the crime in our city."
Follow Cornelia Naylor on X/Twitter @CorNaylor
Email [email protected]
