POLICE – Mom of 11-month-old finds suspected fentanyl stash in park

An alert mom saved her 11-month-old tot from harm Sunday after the child found a small container of suspected drugs while playing at McDonald Park.

She took it away from the child and contacted RCMP, who are investigating.

“Kamloops, like many other communities in Canada, is still in the grips of an opioid crisis,” said S/Sgt. Simon Pillay.

“In B.C., this has been considered a public health emergency since April 2016. Unfortunately, this means issues like found needles and drugs are something that all parents must be mindful of while in public settings.

“Thankfully, in the case at hand an attentive parent caught her child with these found drugs before any harm could be done. It serves as a good reminder to speak with your kids about the reality of hazards that could be found in any public spaces.”

Const. Gary Gray of the RCMP Kamloops Targeted Enforcement Unit said fentanyl has become the drug of choice for both traffickers and users in Kamloops over heroin because of its potency.

“Drug traffickers acquire fentanyl fairly cheap and mix it with a buffing agent such as caffeine to be sold on the street. Some drug traffickers add colouring to their product to make it a signature product. The most common colour that Kamloops RCMP have been seeing is purple fentanyl.”

The importation, production and trafficking of fentanyl has been associated to the involvement of organized crime groups. RCMP are asking anyone with information about local drug trafficking activities to contact them at 250-828-3000.