TORONTO -- A series of raids last month netted more than 120,000 fentanyl pills and 70 kilograms of powder, making it the largest fentanyl seizure in Ontario law enforcement history.
Dubbed "Project Javelin," an investigation by the OPP and several other Toronto-area police services began in April, with officers gathering intelligence on an alleged fentanyl tablet operation smuggling 325mg pills throughout Ontario and British Columbia.
Often described as being 50 times more potent than heroin, fentanyl has led to hundreds of deaths in both provinces over the past five years.
On May 27, police in B.C. intercepted "a large quantity of fentanyl pills," allegedly made to resemble Teva Pharmaceuticals’ Teva‐Oxycocet 5mg/325mg pill.
Three days later, police in Ontario conducted four raids in Burlington and one in Oakville, locating a home allegedly containing an industrial mixer, pill press and other tools for producing an enormous supply of the deadly opioid.
Police allegedly seized 123,700 fake 325mg Oxycocet tablets, 70 kilograms of bulk fentanyl powder, three commercial mixers, a pill coating machine, two pill presses, rolls of fake Teva pill bottle labels, 300 kilograms of powder cutting agent and $20,000 in cash.
Three men were taken into custody and later released on undertakings.
The Ontario Provincial Police identified them as Edin Sefic, 34, Halid Sefic, 30, both of Burlington and Richard Atanasoff, 54, of Toronto.
They face charges including production of a controlled substance, trafficking of a controlled substance and possession of property obtained by crime.
All three will appear in court in September.
