‘Staggering amount of fentanyl’ drug bust lands Richmond man in prison
Credit to Author: Jennifer Saltman| Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:59:05 +0000
Importing more than 13 kilograms of fentanyl and other drugs into Canada from China has netted a Richmond man 12 years in prison.
Jaroslaw Orzel was sentenced on drugs and weapons charges after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possessing a restricted firearm with accessible ammunition.
Twenty-one other drug and weapons charges were stayed.
“(T)his seizure has potentially prevented an untold number of overdoses,” said Supt. Richard Bergevin of the RCMP federal serious and organized crime unit.
The investigation began in July 2017, when Canada Border Services Agency identified a suspicious importer who was smuggling fentanyl into Canada, and linked him to seven previous fentanyl seizures totalling 3.5 kg.
It turned out the importer was using rented post office boxes across the Metro Vancouver region to import fentanyl from China.
The investigation was referred to the RCMP federal serious and organized crime section. Police believed he was also storing fentanyl in his Richmond home, and obtained a search warrant that was executed on Aug. 10, 2017.
At Orzel’s home, they seized 9.3 kg of fentanyl and analogues; 7.6 grams of W-18 mixed with caffeine and fentanyl; 2.6 g of carfentanil mixed with fentanyl, heroin and caffeine; ketamine; cocaine; MDMA; U-47700; 4-ANPP; alprazolam; synthetic cannabinoids; a Glock 17 handgun with ammunition; Olympic Arms PCR 99 semi-automatic rifle with ammunition; more than $195,000 in Canadian currency; and 2.19 Bitcoins.
“This staggering amount of fentanyl could be on the street today were it not for much behind-the-scenes, dogged persistence by our intelligence-gathering and RCMP team members,” said Yvette-Monique Gray, Canada Border Service Agency Pacific region enforcement and intelligence division director.
Orzel was also charged in an unrelated case in June with producing a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and three counts of unlawfully possessing chemicals and equipment, however the charges were recently stayed.
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