A large amount of drugs discovered at London International Airport has resulted in the largest fentanyl pill seizure in the history of the London Police Service.
Police said officers were called to the airport on March 1, 2020, after security stopped a passenger during a routine screening and found pills inside two stainless steel containers in the person's luggage. The passenger was attempting to board a plane at the time.
The passenger was arrested by police and 1,902 pills of suspected oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet) were seized.
Samples of the pills were submitted to Health Canada for analysis and the results, which came back this month, showed that the pills contained fentanyl. By comparison, previous seizures of fentanyl pills in London included 26 pills in March 2017, another three pills in a separate seizure the same month, and eight pills in January of this year.
As a result of the seizure, Charles Bailey, 41, of London, is now charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking in a Schedule I Substance. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 4, 2020.
"Given the quantity of pills in this seizure, the potency of fentanyl relative to other opioids, and the fact these pills were marked to resemble pharmaceutical Percocet tablets (TEC), the public is advised to be aware that similar products may be in circulation and reminded that pills obtained outside legitimate medical/pharmaceutical channels may not be as they appear or as they are held out to be," police said in a news release.
Police have provided a photo of one of the tablets that were seized, which can be seen below.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent in online anonymously to www.londoncrimestoppers.com.
A fentanyl pill seized at London International Airport in March 2020. (Photo courtesy the London Police Service)