Vic Pd say they discovered the deadly opioid carfentanil mixed with heroin in a sample of drugs seized during an arrest. Carfentanil is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl. This is the first confirmation that carfentanil has come to Victoria. It's used to sedate large animals like elephants, and has no medical application for humans.
The deadly drug was discovered as investigators scanned samples of drugs seized during the arrest of 2 men in a joint investigation involving West Shore RCMP and VicPD's Strike Force and Crime Reduction Unit.
One of the men taken into custody, Horst Francisco Schirmer, was wanted on arrest warrants for violating court-ordered conditions -- including prohibitions for possession of controlled substances, weapons possession and stipulations for house arrest.
Schirmer and a second man were taken into custody August 2nd after West Shore RCMP stopped a vehicle in the 1000-block of Goldstream Avenue at the request of VicPD. A satchel containing drugs was seized.
Inside they found cash, drug paraphernalia, just over a half kilogram of cocaine mixed with fentanyl, methamphetamine mixed with fentanyl, marijuana, brass knuckles and a small packet containing a powder which resembled heroin mixed with another drug.
Samples of each substance were analyzed with a newly acquired ion scanner, and showed it contained a potentially fatal combination of heroin mixed with carfentanil.
Schirmer remains in custody, while the other man was released on a promise to appear.