Canadian organized crime groups are increasingly involved in the manufacturing and trafficking of fentanyl as the cocaine market has become more saturated, according to a federal policing organization.
The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) released its public report for 2024, which outlines the criminal landscape in the country while providing details on the growing fentanyl problem.
The involvement of organized crime groups in the fentanyl trade has risen by 42 percent since 2019 and the number of groups involved in manufacturing the drug has nearly doubled, going from 51 in 2023 to 99 in 2024, the CISC report said.
Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid linked to the increase in Canadian overdose deaths, has come into the spotlight since U.S. President Donald Trump singled out the drug in his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico….