British ColumbiaThe seizures took place at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility in Delta, B.C., on May 13 and 15, 2025, and border officers say the investigation is ongoing.Police say the drugs came to B.C. through shipping containers from China, and were headed to CalgaryMichelle Gomez · CBC News · Posted: Oct 30, 2025 6:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe chemicals, in clear jugs and blue drums, that were seized in May are pictured in a photo provided by the Canada Border Services Agency. (Canadian Border Services Agency)Thousands of litres of chemicals that are used to produce fentanyl and other drugs were seized in Delta in May, officials announced Thursday.The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said in a statement that the chemicals were in two shipping containers that had come to B.C. from China, and were destined for Calgary. It said officers found 60 clear jugs and 20 blue drums containing 3,600 litres of butanediol, which is used to produce GHB (also known as the “date-rape drug”), and 500 litres of propionyl chloride, which is used to produce fentanyl.The seizures took place at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility in Delta on May 13 and 15, 2025, but CBSA made the announcement Thursday and said an investigation is ongoing.“CBSA and the RCMP are committed to protecting our communities and disrupting organized crime by stopping the flow of precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl and other illicit drugs,” the statement reads.Neil Boyd, professor emeritus at Simon Fraser University’s criminology school, called the seizure significant, and said it highlights the connections that exist between organized crime groups in China and Canada. He said there are hundreds of organized crime groups globally, and finding individual criminals can be difficult in such broad networks. “To be able to interrupt their activity, when they have some of the advantages that exist in the digital world … that’s a very difficult hurdle to overcome,” said Boyd. But regardless of the challenges, Boyd said enforcement is an important part of how to respond to Canada’s drug crisis. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the importance of the police action, knowing the consequences of this kind of activity,” he said. ABOUT THE AUTHORMichelle Gomez is a writer and reporter at CBC Vancouver. You can contact her at michelle.gomez@cbc.ca.
Thousands of litres of chemicals used to produce fentanyl and other drugs seized in Delta
