By Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press on October 31, 2024.

Firearms, illicit drugs and cash seized last week are displayed before a news conference at RCMP headquarters in Surrey, British Columbia, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. The RCMP says have dismantled “the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl and methamphetamine plant.” drug superlab in Canada,” after an operation was carried out in Falkland, BC and Surrey starting last Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Cops have dismantled what they say is Canada’s largest and most sophisticated illicit drug “super lab.”

Police say they believe organized crime ran the operation where there was mass production and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine across Canada and internationally.

Last week, officers served search warrants at the drug lab in Falkland, BC, in the southern Interior, and at associated locations in Surrey, in Metro Vancouver.

Police say they seized 54 kilograms of fentanyl, “enormous” quantities of precursor chemicals, 390 kilograms of methamphetamine and smaller quantities of cocaine, MDMA and cannabis.

They also found a total of 89 firearms, including pistols, AR-15 type rifles and submachine guns, as well as small explosive devices, ammunition, silencers, high-capacity magazines, bulletproof vests and $500,000 in cash.

Investigators say a suspect, Gaganpreet Randhawa, was arrested and is in custody facing numerous drug and firearms offenses.

Fentanyl is the main ingredient in many of the toxic illicit drugs that have killed nearly 48,000 people nationwide between January 2016 and March 2024, according to the federal government.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.

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