Regina police seized more than 10 kg of fentanyl in first seven months of 2023

Regina police seized nearly twice as much fentanyl in the first seven months of 2023 as they did in all of 2022.

In a media release Thursday, police said officers took more than 10.4 kilograms of fentanyl off the streets from the start of January through the end of July. By contrast, figures provided by police show 5.7 kilograms of fentanyl were seized in all of 2022.

A package of fentanyl seized by the Regina Police Service during recent drug investigations in the city. (Regina Police Service/Submitted)

“The 10.4 kilograms in seizures represents millions of potentially lethal doses and is the largest amount seized by the Regina Police Service in a single year to date,” the release said. “Enforcement efforts will not slow down and this number is expected to rise by the end of this year.”

The data released by police noted there were around seven kilograms of fentanyl seized by investigators in 2020 and 8.2 kg in 2021.

Police said they also located around 2.7 kg of cocaine and 9.2 kg of methamphetamine from the start of the year through July.

“These illicit drugs were confiscated through 727 different seizures made by officers in our investigative units such as the Street Gang Unit, the Drug Unit and the Crime Reduction Team,” the release noted.

“Patrol officers have also played an important role. They often locate illicit drugs in the course of their duties conducting traffic stops and during routine calls for service and arrests.”

A chart showing the amount of drugs seized in Regina over the past 3 1/2 years. (Regina Police Service/Submitted)

The police noted that weapons and the proceeds of crime also often are seized by officers during the course of their investigations.

There have been a number of arrests in Regina after which drug charges were laid, including an incident on Cameron Street earlier this month, a so-called “police operation” on Robinson Street in May, and a bust in February on Hamilton Street.

Anyone with information about drug trafficking in Regina is urged to call the police service’s Drug Tip Line at 306-777-8602 or make a report anonymously through Regina Crime Stoppers or by calling 1-800-222-8477.

According to figures from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, there were 92 confirmed deaths due to drug overdoses and 199 suspected overdose deaths in the province between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1.

Of the confirmed deaths, 85 were deemed to be accidental, six were considered suicides and the cause of one was undetermined.

There were 337 confirmed and 39 suspected overdose deaths in the province in 2022, one year after there were 403 confirmed and five suspected overdose deaths in Saskatchewan.

The province continues to offer take-home naloxone kits to people to help counteract the effects of an opioid overdose.