Fentanyl seizure largest ever, OPP say

Illegal lab connected to organized crime in B.C.

Ontario Provincial Police have announced the largest fentanyl seizure in the province’s history, with the arrests of three men accused of operating an illegal lab in the GTA.

The project, dubbed Project Javelin, isn’t over yet, Det.-Insp. Jim Walker of the OPP organized crime enforcement bureau said.

“The investigation is ongoing,” Walker said when asked if there will be more arrests.

He declined to comment on what organized crime groups were involved in trafficking the synthetic drugs, some of which were allegedly destined for the West coast.

The illegal drugs were counterfeit replicas of legitimate Teva-Oxycocet 5 mg/325 mg pills.

Police stressed that Teva Canada co-operated with law enforcement and regulatory authorities during the investigation.

“The OPP consistently works in partnership with the pharmaceutical industry in relation to any suspected counterfeit medications encountered throughout our major projects and investigations,” Walker said in a prepared statement.

Project Javelin began in April with an investigation into a suspected methamphetamine production operation in Durham and Halton regions.

The OPP said investigators learned it was, in fact, an illegal fentanyl tableting operation, with connections to criminals in B.C.

Police said they raided one location in Oakville and four in Burlington.

In total, they seized 123,700 fentanyl pills; 70 kg of fentanyl powder and more than 300 kg of bulk powder utilized as binding/cutting agent.

They also seized one commercial-sized pill press; one industrial pill press with counterfeit tableting stamp; three commercial-sized mixers; one pillcoating machine and about 700 empty bulk pharmacy-sized pill bottles. There was also one roll of counterfeit “Teva-Oxycocet” labels, one pill-bottling tableting table and about $20,000 in cash.

Facing six charges for production, trafficking and possession of a controlled substance is Halid Sefic, 30, of Burlington.

Edin Sefic, 34, of Burlington, faces seven charges for production, trafficking and possession of a controlled substance and Richard Atanasoff, 56, of Toronto, was charged with two counts of production of a controlled substance.

The three accused were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court in September.