EDMONTON - Police believe traffickers in Alberta have been sending fentanyl and other drugs to British Columbia and Saskatchewan using hidden compartments in vehicles.
Illegally made fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, is sometimes sold to unsuspecting buyers as OxyContin or heroin and has been linked to more than 100 deaths in Alberta since 2014.
Police say a team of RCMP and Edmonton officers has arrested five people on more than 30 drug-related charges.
During the arrests, police seized fentanyl pills, methamphetamine and other drugs, along with three SUVs with custom-made hidden compartments.
Authorities and health officials are trying to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, noting more than 88,000 of the pills have been seized throughout Alberta since last April.
Calgary police say they have made 13 fentanyl seizures since January and believe the drug was a contributing factor in 29 deaths in the city last year.
