NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE
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Investigators with the York Regional Police #3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau - Property Crime Unit, are issuing a public warning after carfentanil was found during a search warrant execution at a residence on Spring Road in the Town of Georgina.
Between July 1, 2020 and Sept. 18, 2020, officers responded to an increase in calls related to drug overdoses in the Town of Georgina. Investigators believe that at least two deaths and 14 overdose calls are connected to fentanyl. Officers were also concerned about a very potent blue-coloured fentanyl that was involved in many of these incidents.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, investigators executed a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrant at a residence on Spring Street where 1.5 grams of carfentanil was found. Investigators believe that more of the dangerous drug was trafficked into the community prior to the warrant execution.
Charged:
• Tyler Reid, 20, Town of Georgina
Charges include:
• Possession for the purpose of trafficking - carfentanil
• Breach of probation
• Possession of counterfeit money
Charged:
• Catherine Reid, 56, Town of Georgina
Charges include:
• Possession of a controlled substance
Carfentanil is suspected to be 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. It is most commonly used by veterinarians as a tranquilizer for large animals such as elephants and bears and is lethal if consumed by humans. Exposure to minute amounts of carfentanil, as little as a grain of salt, or two milligrams of powder, may be fatal, whether ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Recreational drug users who ingest, inject or smoke any powdered-form drug must be aware that carfentanil can be found mixed with other drugs. It cannot be detected and can cause a fatal overdose. Cross contamination can also cause fatalities if the drug is present on an item or surface. All powered-form drugs should be handled with caution and treated with the possibility that carfentanil may be present.
York Regional Police is committed to combating the distribution of opioids in our community. For more information on how partners from across York Region are working together to reduce opioid harms, read the Opioid Action Plan. A video on the dangers of fentanyl is available for viewing here.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #3 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext.7341, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips, or leave an anonymous tip online.
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