An Inglewood resident found a suspicious bag of pills on their driveway last Sunday, CTV News has learned.
The Edmonton Police Service said that person did the right thing: call police instead of investigating what was inside the bag.
Test results confirmed the bag contained fentanyl, which can be lethal if accidentally inhaled. EPS has not released how much was discovered.
“It’s in a neigbhourhood, and I am concerned for young people. Kids walking by being curious, being kids, and coming in contact with that product,” Deputy Police Chief Brian Simpson said.
EPS makes record fentanyl seizures in 2017
Last year, officers took 65,907 potentially deadly tablets off the streets, which is a major jump from 655 pills in 2016.
On July 5, 2017, the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Unit captured the largest fentanyl seizure in all of Canada. An estimated $2 million worth of pills were discovered in an Edmonton home.
This bust alone makes up for most of the 2017 statistic.
Simpson said it is not unusual for Edmonton to see large drug seizures.
“Edmonton has always been a hub for northern Alberta, northern B.C., and Saskatchewan. We have a lot of migration into our community from other communities and unfortunately it appears to be a market there.”
He said fentanyl is more attractive to drug dealers because it is a cheaper substance to make.
With files from David Ewasuk
