The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Windsor Police Service (WPS) spent 16 months trying to bust an “international auto theft” ring.
Through ‘Project Fairfield’ police pulled over a stolen vehicle near Kingston, Ont. in Dec. 2022. As a result, officers discovered 14,914 synthetic opioid tablets.
“These tablets were pressed into counterfeit prescription pills made to appear like oxycodone products,” according to OPP Insp. Andy Bradford who said they were made of metonitazine and protonitazene.
“The substances off can be up to 100 times more potent than oxycodone itself or as another reference, up to two times (more potent) than of fentanyl,” said Bradford.
Of the 23 people who were arrested and charged through Project Fairfield, three are also facing drug possession charges.
“Knowing that profits from stolen vehicles are being used to contribute to an opioid crisis, which has already reached epidemic levels is deeply troubling,” said Bradford.
Michael Brennan, executive director of Pozitive Pathways agrees.
He told CTV News Friday he’s not shocked to hear the tablets were counterfeit oxycodone.
While grateful to police for removing them from the streets he fears the lack of supply will only make the drugs available more toxic.
And he said it’s why they advocate for a safe drug supply.
“That can help people become more self-determinant over their health outcomes, reducing harm to themselves and the community and to not be reliant on a supply chain that provides no assurances as to what additional substances are cut into their supply use,” said Brennan.
