‘20 times more potent than fentanyl’: CBSA and RCMP seize packages of synthetic opioids

Synthetic opioids and other crime-related items are seen in this photo released by the CBSA and RCMP after the arrest of a Mississauga man.

A Mississauga, Ont. man is being accused of trafficking a synthetic opioid that can be 20 times more potent than fentanyl after border agents intercepted shipments containing the drugs at two mail sorting centres.

A news release Friday said Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers seized multiple shipments of synthetic opioids arriving from China at the international mail and cargo processing facilities in Mississauga and Vancouver, BC.

The packages were being sent to an address in Mississauga, along with additional shipments intended for international export.

The synthetic opioids found were ‘nitazenes,’ which the CBSA and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) described as “up to 20 times more potent than fentanyl.”

“They are used to ‘cut’ street drugs in Canada, and their high potency can increase the risk of overdose, particularly when mixed with other substances,” the release said.

Over five kilograms of narcotics, drug paraphernalia, more than $120,000 in cash, and other proceeds of crime like luxury watches and precious metals were seized at the suspect’s Mississauga home by the RCMP’s Transnational Serious and Organized Crime Unit on Jan. 3.

Matthew Phan, 36, of Mississauga has been charged with several trafficking and possession offences, and two counts of unlawful attempt to export a controlled substance.

Phan has not received bail and remains in custody, according to the release.

The seizure is part of an ongoing crackdown on drug smuggling amid heightened pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Nitazenes are a lethal substance that pose a significant risk to the safety of Canadians, and the CBSA is committed to securing Canada’s border from drug threats like this one,” Lisa Janes, GTA Regional Director General of the CBSA, said in the release.

“The CBSA executed over 3,000 narcotic seizures in the Greater Toronto Area in 2024, keeping over 10,000 kg of drugs out of our communities.”

“This opioid seizure is yet another example of Canada’s Border Plan in action and the effective partnership between the CBSA and the RCMP in stopping cross-border drug trafficking,” added Minister of Public Safety, David J. McGuinty.