Man charged after Halifax police seize $4M worth of cocaine, fake oxycodone pills

The Halifax RCMP seized millions of dollars worth of cocaine and pills.

One man has been charged with drug trafficking after police seized drugs with an estimated street value of $4 million in Halifax.

Police say members of the RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment Street Crime Enforcement Unit began an investigation into the transportation of cocaine into the municipality in September.

According to a news release on Tuesday, police identified 38-year-old Exile Antonino Sandulu of Dartmouth as a drug transporter and monitored his movements.

Police were able to stop a Nissan Quest which was driven by Sandulu on Highway 104 in Colchester County at around 5:55 p.m. on Sept. 29. After searching the vehicle, police say they found 40 kilograms of cocaine and about 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills in a hidden compartment.

“We believe, however, that those pills were manufactured for the illicit market and we believe they may contain fentanyl, and we are working to confirm that through Health Canada labs,” said Supt. Don Moser with the RCMP. “We are very confident that they are not legitimate prescription pills.”

Sandulu has been charged with two counts of drug trafficking. He was released by the court and is set to appear in provincial court in Dartmouth on Dec. 12.

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis

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