LOWER MAINLAND, BC — Federal investigators have dismantled an active fentanyl lab in Chilliwack and a large-scale MDMA lab in Abbotsford, seizing approximately 40 kilograms of finished fentanyl, 250 kilograms of MDMA, $135,000 in cash, and eleven firearms, police announced Wednesday.
The months-long investigation, led by the Federal Policing Pacific Region’s (FPPR) Drugs and Organized Crime section, culminated in a series of coordinated searches across four Lower Mainland communities.
On April 30, officers executed a search warrant at a property in the 1800-block of Queen Street in Abbotsford, where the MDMA lab and pill press operation was located. Two additional warrants were served the same day — at a residence in the 19000-block of 76 Avenue in Langley, and at a home in the 1800-block of Gilmore Avenue in Burnaby.
Three men were arrested during the operations without incident. They have since been released pending further investigation.
The following day, on May 1, police executed a fourth warrant in the 41000-block of Keith Wilson Road in Chilliwack. There, they discovered an active fentanyl lab and seized roughly 40 kilograms of finished fentanyl, along with chemicals, processing and packaging materials, and equipment used to produce the potent synthetic opioid.
“The seizure of these drugs and firearms represent a significant disruption to organized criminal activity, removing dangerous substances and weapons from circulation,” says FPPR Media Relations Officer Cpl. James Bennett. “This kind of investigation truly enhances public safety and improves community well-being.”
“Our investigators also found that one of the labs appeared to be in the process of expanding. Those expansion plans are believed to have been disrupted by our investigation,” adds Cpl. Bennett.
Bennett added that investigators believe one of the labs appeared to be in the process of expanding. “Those expansion plans are believed to have been disrupted by our investigation,” he said.
The RCMP credited multiple agencies for their roles in the takedown, including the FPPR Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) team, the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team (IERT), the Abbotsford Police Department, and RCMP detachments in Burnaby, Langley and Chilliwack.
FPPR Drugs and Organized Crime also recognizes the critical and coordinated contributions of the FPPR Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) team, the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team (IERT), Abbotsford Police Department and RCMP detachments in Burnaby, Langley and Chilliwack.
Their expertise and operational support were instrumental in the significant seizure of fentanyl and other illicit substances, preventing these highly dangerous drugs from reaching our communities.
The investigation remains ongoing.
