Authorities in Winnipeg have arrested four individuals on drug trafficking charges in connection with an investigation into a “new form” of fentanyl where the opioid is pressed into colourful shapes that resemble candles, soaps, and candies.
An investigation launched in January into drug trafficking in a city neighbourhood by the guns and gangs unit of the Winnipeg Police Service discovered the deadly opioid was being pressed into shapes such as flowers, hearts, and honeycombs, before being packaged, police said in a release.
Police issued an advisory on Feb. 21 warning the public not to touch or use any such products.
Officers confiscated approximately $225,000 worth of illicit drugs and approximately $53,000 in cash after searching two city residences and performing a traffic stop last month.
The Winnipeg Police Service has issued an arrest warrant for 44-year-old Dennis Lawrence Russell Spence in connection with its fentanyl trafficking investigation. Winnipeg Police Service/handout photo
Four people have been arrested in connection with the investigation and police have issued an arrest warrant for 44-year-old Dennis Lawrence Russell Spence.
Police are “actively looking for” Spence and asking anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to contact them, the press release said.
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Officers have taken one man and three women into custody. A 51-year-old man was arrested during a traffic stop and police say fentanyl with a street value of more than $84,000, a scale, and more than $6,000 in cash were found in his vehicle.
David Cameron Gray is facing several charges in connection with the incident, including two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and firearm-related charges.
Searches carried out at a Winnipeg apartment building led to the arrest of three women and the seizure of more than $20,000 worth of fentanyl, ammunition, and cash, police said.
Winnipeg residents Amy Jose Lynn Gray, 21, and Destiny Dawn Gray, 37, have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of the proceeds of crime, in connection with the raid.
A 32-year-old female city resident was also charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, but police did not release her name.
The search of a second property resulted in the discovery of additional drugs, including methamphetamine valued at more than $90,000, cocaine worth more than $22,000, and fentanyl estimated at $5,000, police said. The authorities also seized cell phones, scales, and approximately $45,000 in cash.
Push Against Fentanyl
Police across the country have been cracking down on fentanyl trafficking in the face of U.S. tariffs, which officially took effect today.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently gave Canada a 30-day reprieve from 10 percent tariffs on oil and gas, as well as 25 percent tax imposed on all other imported products after forging a deal with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who promised several measures to prevent cross-border drug trafficking.
The one-month tariff pause ended on March 4 after Trump said Canada has not done enough to stem the flow of fentanyl across its southern border.
Public Safety Minister David McGuinty described recent drug seizures by law enforcement as proof that border security is a top priority for Canada. He pointed to the recent seizure of nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine and cocaine destined for Alberta that Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers seized during two separate incidents in December and January.
Officers seized 186 kilograms of methamphetamine and 42 kilograms of cocaine from two commercial trucks seeking entry from Sweetgrass, Montana at the Coutts border crossing in southern Alberta.
Canadian law enforcement officials have made several other large arrests in recent months including taking down a drug “super lab” in British Columbia last fall. Authorities said it was the “largest and most sophisticated” drug-production lab in Canadian history.
