City police charge man in fentanyl, meth seizure case

Owen Sound police charged a Brampton man with drug offences and seized more than $100,000 worth of fentanyl and methamphetamine Wednesday.

City police said in a news release the major drug seizure resulted from a “lengthy and complex investigation involving a drug trafficker selling illicit drugs in Owen Sound and the Grey-bruce area.”

Police seized 247.5 grams of fentanyl and 93.4 grams of methamphetamine with a street value of more than $108,000. The seized fentanyl represents over 2,400 potentially fatal doses, police said.

About 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, police from Owen Sound, West Grey and Saugeen Shores worked together to make an arrest in Saugeen Shores, according the police statement.

Mohamed Gabaire, 22, of Brampton is charged with possession of Fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime according to the release. He was held for a bail hearing.

“This investigation highlights the Owen Sound Police Service's commitment to investigate and arrest those responsible for trafficking highly toxic drugs to, and profiting from, the most vulnerable members of our community,” the release said.

Owen Sound Police Chief Craig Ambrose said in the release he was proud of the work all the officers did.

“Our community continues to suffer from the effects of the opioid crisis and we continue to see tragic losses of our community members from overdoses of these very same types of drugs which were seized today."

Alexis Cook, the program manager of harm reduction programs at the Grey Bruce Health Unit, said in the release that fentanyl and carfentanil are particular concerns amid what she called an “opioid and substance poisoning epidemic.”

“Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is odourless and tasteless and is 100 times stronger than morphine. Only a few grains of fentanyl can be enough to kill someone, which makes the risk of an accidental overdose very high," she said.