A man has been charged after Montreal police raided a lab producing fentanyl, a potent drug linked to a string of recent deaths and overdoses across the country.
Officers say a tip led them to the lab, which was located on Lajoie Avenue, in an industrial part of the suburb of Dorval.
Police began raiding the facility on Friday morning and arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the case.
Then, with the help of the Surete Du Quebec, officers launched a days-long investigation into drug facility.
Health Canada was brought in to assess samples and confirm that fentanyl had been produced at the site.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate that is legally prescribed to treat chronic pain. While it is often given to suffering cancer patients, it has also leaked onto the black market.
It is sold in pills or patches, or used to spike other drugs, such as oxycotin or heroin. Overdosing on fentanyl can easily be fatal.
According to the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse, there were at least 655 fentanyl-related deaths in Canada between 2009 and 2014.
"It's a pretty dangerous drug that's killed many people here in Canada and in the United States," Manuel Couture, a media relations officer for the Montreal Police said.
The drug—and the chemicals necessary for its production—are so strong that officers are required to wear hazmat suits as they dismantle the Dorval lab.
There are also other regulations in place to keep the officers safe.
"They have certain conditions," Couture said. "They cannot be inside the laboratory for more than 15 minutes."
Police have also raided a home in Laval as part of the investigation.
Couture said they discovered an "unknown" chemical substance there as well.
Officers have not said how much fentanyl was being produced at the lab, or where they think it was headed.
With files from CTV Montreal's Tanya Krywiak
