Canadian Police Seize 120,000+ Cannabis and Psilocybin Products Resembling Name-Brand Products

Police in Canada on Tuesday announced they had taken down an organized crime group believed to have produced tens of thousands of counterfeit candy bars, resembling popular name-brand products, that contained cannabis and psilocybin mushrooms, ABC News reports. Police said they seized more than 120,000 cannabis-infused products resembling brand-name products and more than 6.6 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms in the bust. 

Police said the bust included 1,740 psilocybin capsules, more than 400 psilocybin chocolate candies, 2.2 pounds of pressed cannabis resin, over 500 pounds of flower, more than 19 pounds of concentrates, over 5,000 vape cartridges, counterfeit cannabis-laced honey, five vehicles, two ATM machines containing cash, an estimated 164 master cases of contraband tobacco equating to 82,000 packs of cigarettes, over $400,000 in cash, and a shotgun. 

In a statement, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) authorities described the products as resembling “professionally manufactured, packaged, and quality-controlled products” that were “produced in the highly unsanitary, and heavily contaminated modular trailers.” 

“A preliminary assessment of the edibles also indicates that they had been treated with unknown amounts of THC, and likely cross-contaminated with other drugs and substances present in the trailers where they were being produced and packaged.” — RCMP in a statement via ABC News 

The search warrants executed by RCMP on October 3 included two dispensaries and five separate residences on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The warrants were associated with an organized crime group allegedly involved in the production and distribution of illicit drugs and contraband tobacco in Port Alberni and Nanaimo, police said. Six people were arrested in the operation.