Largest drug “superlab” in Canadian history busted, record amount of fentanyl, chemicals and weapons seized

Canadian police on Thursday dismantled what they said was the country's largest and most advanced illicit drug “superlab,” saying they had seized “a record number of illegal firearms, synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they believe the operation, which involved mass production and distribution, was run by organized crime 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. The RCMP released several photos of the operation, showing officers in protective suits retrieving items from the “super lab.”

Police said they seized 54 kilograms of fentanyl, “huge” amounts of it Precursor chemicals390 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 – “many of which were loaded and ready to use.” They also found 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.

“This is undoubtedly a serious blow to the transnational organized crime groups involved and a major step towards ensuring the safety of Canadians and the international community,” said Jillian Wellard, officer in charge of the Federal Policing Pacific Region.

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.

The arrest came about two weeks after Canadian police said they made arrests linked to another transnational organized crime group. The RCMP said it has been working with the FBI for more than a year to target a criminal network linked to the Mexican cartel that transports large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Central and South America through the United States to Canada and abroad have.

Canadian authorities said the network also commissioned murders across North America and laundered significant amounts of money. According to authorities, the suspected leader of this network, Canadian Ryan Wedding, remains at large and is wanted by the USA and Canada.