The RCMP have dismantled what they say is Canada’s largest and most sophisticated illicit drug “superlab.”

Police say they believe organized crime was running the operation to mass produce and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine across Canada and abroad.

Officers served search warrants last week at the Falkland, B.C., drug lab in the southern Interior and at associated locations in Surrey in Metro Vancouver.

Police said they seized 54 kilograms of fentanyl, “massive” 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 handguns, AR-15-style rifles and submachine guns, as well as small explosive devices, ammunition, silencers, high-capacity magazines, vests bulletproof and $500,000 in cash.

Investigators say a suspect, Gaganpreet Randhawa, has been arrested and is in custody for numerous drug and firearms offenses.

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

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

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press