Canadian Mounties bust massive drug 'superlab' linked to transnational organized crime

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian police on Thursday dismantled what they said was the largest and most sophisticated illicit drug “superlab” in the country.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believe organized crime was behind the operation, which involved the mass production and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine across Canada and internationally.

Officers served search warrants last week at the drug lab in Falkland, British Columbia, and adjacent locations in Surrey, Greater Vancouver.

Police said they seized 54 kilograms of fentanyl, “huge” quantities of precursor chemicals, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine and smaller amounts of cocaine, MDMA and cannabis.

They also found a total of 89 firearms, including handguns, AR-15 rifles and submachine guns, as well as small explosive devices, ammunition, silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armor and 500,000 Canadian dollars (US$359,000) in cash.

According to investigators, a suspect, Gaganpreet Randhawa, has been arrested and is in custody facing numerous drug and firearms-related charges.

According to the Canadian government, fentanyl is a key ingredient in many toxic illegal drugs that killed nearly 48,000 people across Canada between January 2016 and March 2024.