ALERT is investigating, after a large amount of a powerful drug was seized in Edmonton at the end of last year – it’s a drug officials said is more powerful than fentanyl, a drug tied to the deaths of hundreds of Albertans in 2015.
Officials said in December, 2015, four kilograms of an unknown chemical powder was seized during a fentanyl investigation in Edmonton.
Investigators submitted the powder to Health Canada’s Drug Analysis Service, and on April 19, officials confirmed that powder was W-18.
Some W-18 pills were discovered in Calgary earlier this year – but this seizure could have resulted in a massive number of pills.
“Theoretically, a 4 kilogram seizure of W-18 could have produced hundreds of millions of illicit pills,” ALERT Staff Sgt. Dave Knibbs said.
According to health officials, W-18 is one hundred times stronger and more toxic than fentanyl, and about ten thousand times more powerful than morphine.
“Our message to the public is this, no matter what drug you use, fentanyl or W-18, might be hiding in it, and they may kill you,” Dr. Laura Calhoun with AHS said.
In 2015, AHS said the deaths of 272 Albertans were tied to fentanyl.
Also challenging, Dr. Calhoun said W-18 can’t be detected in urine tests.
The substance is not currently regulated in Canada as part of the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, and has no clinical use.
ALERT said it’s believed the powder was brought into Canada from overseas. Few other details on the case are available, as the investigation is ongoing.
With files from Carmen Leibel
