Canadian authorities seize thousands of kilos of illicit drugs

Judy Trinh has more on the Canada-wide efforts led by the RCMP that led to record seizures of fentanyl and illegal drugs and what the investigation revealed.

Canadian authorities have seized 386 kilograms of fentanyl, 5,989 kg of cocaine and 1,708 kg of methamphetamine during an operation dubbed the National Fentanyl Sprint 2.0, the RCMP said in a press release Tuesday.

The initiative ran from May 20 to Oct. 31, 2025, and included 21 Canadian law enforcement agencies and government partners, in co-ordination with the Canadian Integrated Response to Organized Crime (CIROC).

“CIROC’s purpose is clear: to co-ordinate efforts to detect, pursue, counter and disrupt organized crime,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner and CIROC Co-Chair Bonnie Ferguson said in a statement.

“Canadian law enforcement, intelligence agencies and government partners working together is key to keeping our communities safe. The results announced today speak to the tenacity of countless law enforcement members who pursue all avenues to disrupt and dismantle fentanyl importation, production and trafficking.”

RCMP officials said on background that less than one per cent of the fentanyl seizures were travelling south to the U.S., and that the operation revealed the scope of the domestic market.“We are not an exporter of fentanyl, it’s a domestic issue,” authorities said.

In addition to the seizure of illicit drugs, authorities reported 8,136 arrests and charges – including 217 individuals arrested for trafficking fentanyl while on bail – and $13.46 million in cash.

According to CIROC, most of these seizures were in Ontario, except for precursor chemicals, with 83 per cent or 224 kg of what was seized coming from Quebec. Most of the methamphetamine (51 per cent) was seized in B.C.

There remain several active investigations that were launched before and during the operation, the press release adds.