7 people charged, including Toronto doctor, after police bust fentanyl ring
Police allege fentanyl patches were illegally obtained, transported and sold
Seven people were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday after York Regional Police, working in conjunction with the Greater Sudbury Police Service, disrupted a fentanyl trafficking ring.
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York Police say they received information about the possible ring in October of 2015. Over the next six months, the Drugs and Vice Unit investigated how fentanyl patches were being illegally obtained, transported to the Greater Sudbury area and sold.
Const. Andy Pattenden of York Regional Police said the ring "involved a doctor's office in the city of Toronto distributing or prescribing fentanyl patches."
Investigators allege the doctor worked with street-level dealers to obtain and distribute the fentanyl patches, which were then sold for about $400-$500 per patch.
Police searched multiple properties and seized nearly 300 patches, which they say are worth an estimated street value of $120,000, along with more than $50,000 in currency, prescription notes and documents.
Police arrested the suspects on Jan. 20, 2016 without incident. They're being charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy.
The suspects were scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket Wednesday.
Fentanyl Warning
York Regional Police are taking the opportunity to remind the public about the dangers of fentanyl.
The drug is an opioid-based painkiller roughly 100 times stronger than morphine, police say, and ingesting, injecting or smoking fentanyl could result in a fatal overdose.
"When used properly as a prescription, it is good," said Const. Pattenden. "However, when it is abused for illicit purposes, that's when the dangers can arise."
Police describe the drug as extremely potent, and say once a patch is altered, there is no way of determining the concentration of the substance.
They advise those who want further information to visit www.facethefentanyl.ca, follow @facethefentanyl on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/facethefentanyl/.