Huge Border Bust Nabs Enough Chemicals to Make 2 Billion Doses of Fentanyl

Wonder if any of this was headed to the U.S. or if that's where it came from?

The actual 'bust' or investigation began July 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, but formal announcement came Thursday August 12.

According to Kritsine Wu of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA--their equivalent of US Customs and Immigration),  Agents detained and searched a large marine container that was labeled "household goods" at the Port in Vancouver.

After searching, CBSA Agents discovered some 3,300 lbs worth of an unknown chemical substance. Samples were sent off for lab analysis, and the results came back with rather shocking news.

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The chemicals were 4-Piperidone, an element commonly used in making Fentanyl. The chemical is listed as Class A by the Canadian Controlled Drugs and Substances act.

According to Canadian officials, the  1,500 kilogram (3,300 lbs) of chemicals could have potentially yielded about 2 billion doses of the deadly drug.

This is one of the largest seizures of such products used to manufacture black market drugs in Canadian history.

Officials did not say where the shipment originated from if it came from the U.S. or elsewhere. They didn't say where it was headed after being brought into Vancouver.  No word on any suspects, presumably because the investigation is still ongoing.

But it's a stunning example of how opioids are fast becoming the biggest drug issue facing the U.S. and Canada.