Green fentanyl seized by Guelph police in motel parking lot drug bust

Guelph police have seized green fentanyl as part of an investigation and say the drug is "similar in appearance to cannabis."

Sgt. Ben Bair of the service's drug unit said the dark green drug is similar in colour alone. The drug is a powder and not a plant, he said.

Bair said it will take about six weeks for Health Canada to determine the potency of the drug, including if it may actually be carfentanil which is similar to, but much stronger than, fentanyl.

"It's the first time we've seen green fentanyl. We have seen both blue and purple fentanyl in the past, and even some greyish fentanyl," he said. 

He noted the different colours can be an indicator of potency.

Officers that were part of a drug unit investigation arrested a man and woman from Guelph Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. as the pair sat in a vehicle in the parking lot of a motel on Woodlawn Road W.

Officers also seized a backpack containing the fentanyl, crystal methamphetamine, crack cocaine and $650 in cash.

A 34-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman face three charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The man also faces a breach of probation charge.

Carfentanil on the rise

Last week, Ontario's chief coroner reported in the first four months of 2019, carfentanil directly contributed to 142 deaths. In 2018, the total numbers of deaths linked to carfentanil was 95.

"There's been a significance increase in carfentanil presence in samples that we're seizing," Bair said, although he wasn't able to provide exact numbers at the time.

"It's extremely dangerous," he noted, warning against using the drug, which is much more powerful that fentanyl. "Even people who have a fentanyl tolerance may not be able to tolerate carfentanil."

Waterloo Regional Police Service reported that as of May 11, the service has had 49 cases where drugs seized have tested postivie for carfentanil.