BC Man charged with fentanyl operation in Valleyview

November 12, 2024 Local News
alert-rcmp

Courtesy: ALERT

UPDATE: ALERT dismantles fentanyl superlab

Edmonton… ALERT has located and dismantled an alleged fentanyl superlab that was operating outside of Valleyview, Alta. The superlab is estimated to have regularly produced bulk quantities of fentanyl for years and was a significant source of fentanyl in Alberta and Western Canada.

ALERT, along with the RCMP’s Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Response Team (CLEAR), executed a search warrant at the rural lab location on October 2, 2024. Four days were spent searching the property and dismantling the highly sophisticated lab.

As result of the search, ALERT seized the following from the superlab:

  • 7 kilograms of processed fentanyl;
  • 4,200 liters of suspected fentanyl precursor chemicals; and
  • 1,500 liters of chemical waste used in production.
Industrial grade and highly specialized lab equipment, worth an estimated tens of thousands of dollars, was also seized and since destroyed. The lab equipment included rotary evaporators, large reaction vessels, chillers, industrial mixers, and numerous beakers, flasks, and scales.

The processed fentanyl seized has an estimated street value of $700,000. With 2 mg of fentanyl considered to be a potentially lethal dose, one kilogram of fentanyl has the theoretical yield of 500,000 fatal doses.
ALERT believes the superlab had been in continuous operation for a period of at least two years, potentially producing multi-kilogram quantities of fentanyl per cook cycle, with each cycle taking approximately seven to eight days.

One person was arrested at the time of the search warrant execution and is alleged to be the “cook” of the operation. Stephen Mogg, a 55-year-old Kelowna man, was charged with production of a controlled substance and possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking.

At the time of the search warrant execution, it is believed an active fentanyl production was taking place.

ALERT believes the superlab is connected to a larger interprovincial organized crime group operating in Western Canada. The group is involved in not only production, but also chemical importation and wholesale distribution. ALERT’s investigation remains ongoing.

Disrupting the fentanyl supply has been a top priority for ALERT and the investigative team generated intelligence that led them to the Valleyview property.

The investigation relied on the assistance of a number of partner agencies including the Alberta Sheriffs, the Edmonton Police Service, Health Canada, Alberta Health, Greenview County Fire and EMS, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and various specialized units with the RCMP, including Valleyview RCMP.

Approximately 70 police officers, scientists, analysts, and other emergency personnel were involved in the takedown of the lab location.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.