CHANDIGARH: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have arrested a Punjab-origin individual after dismantling a "super lab" in Falkland, British Columbia, linked to a transnational organised crime group involved in fentanyl and methamphetamine production. The operation, targeting locations across Metro Vancouver, resulted in record seizures of drugs, precursor chemicals, and loaded firearms.
The arrested individual has been identified as Gaganpreet Randhawa,
A statement from Pacific Region RCMP Federal Policing reads, “The Pacific Region RCMP Federal Policing program has delivered a decisive blow to a major transnational organised crime group by dismantling Canada’s largest and most sophisticated fentanyl and methamphetamine superlab. The combined fentanyl and precursors seized at this facility could have amounted to over 95.5 million potentially lethal doses, now prevented from reaching our communities or being exported abroad.”
The statement added, “On Friday, October 25, 2024, RCMP Federal investigators conducted a series of coordinated enforcement actions across Metro Vancouver and executed search warrants on a massive drug superlab in Falkland, BC, along with associated locations in Surrey, BC.”
Describing the drug superlab as the largest and most sophisticated of its kind, with the capability to produce multiple types of illicit drugs, federal investigators seized 54 kg of fentanyl, significant amounts of precursor chemicals, 390 kg of methamphetamine, 35 kg of cocaine, 15 kg of MDMA, and 6 kg of cannabis.
“In addition to the massive quantities of drugs and precursor chemicals, investigators seized a total of 89 firearms, including 45 handguns, 21 AR-15-style rifles, and submachine guns, many of which were loaded and ready for use. To date, nine of these firearms have been identified as stolen. The searches also yielded small explosive devices, large amounts of ammunition, firearm silencers, high-capacity magazines, body armour, and 500,000 dollars in cash,” the statement added.
The statement added that Gaganpreet Randhawa was identified as the main suspect and arrested by Federal Policing Group-6 investigators. Randhawa is currently in custody and has been charged with multiple drug and firearms-related offences.
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul stated that this enforcement action has potentially saved over 95 million lives and denied the transnational organised crime group an estimated $485 million in profit. He noted that the investigation has resulted in the seizure of a significant volume of unregulated and scheduled precursor chemicals—approximately 5,000 litres and over 10 tons—believed to be used in the production of fentanyl and MDMA.
“Of particular concern is the discovery of several tons of unregulated chemicals believed to be used to produce P2P (Phenyl-2-Propanone), a Class A scheduled precursor essential for manufacturing crystal methamphetamine,” he added.
Teboul remarked, “Manufacturing methamphetamine using P2P had not been seen in Western Canada until now. The P2P manufacturing method has been the primary method used by Mexican cartels to produce methamphetamine for years.”
He further explained, “The precursor chemicals, combined with the finished fentanyl products seized at this location, could have amounted to 95.5 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl that have been prevented from entering Canadian communities and abroad.”
In a related incident, Peel Regional Police recently arrested five individuals of Punjabi origin, including a woman and her two sons, for alleged arms and drug smuggling. Those arrested include Brampton residents Narinder Kaur Nagra (61), her sons Navdeep Nagra (20) and Ravneet Nagra (22), along with Ranveer Araich (20) and Pavneet Nahal (21). They face nearly 160 charges.
The arrests began with the recovery of a firearm from a 20-year-old man by traffic police in July, leading to further investigation. “Between July and September, officers from the Specialized Enforcement Bureau conducted ‘Project Sledgehammer,’ targeting a group suspected of drug trafficking in the Region of Peel and across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). In September, investigators, with assistance from Peel Regional Police, Waterloo Regional Police, York Regional Police, and the RCMP, executed five residential search warrants in the GTA, resulting in the arrest of the five accused, nearly 160 charges, and the recovery of 11 firearms, 32 prohibited magazines, over 900 rounds of ammunition, 53 Glock selector switches, and a quantity of drugs,” the statement added.