‘A serious threat’: RCMP dismantle synthetic drug lab in hamlet north of Edmonton

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ATHABASCA, ALBERTA, CANADA - For Mounties in northern Alberta, it was a crime scene that should have come with a big hazardous-materials warning label.

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ATHABASCA, ALBERTA, CANADA – For Mounties in northern Alberta, it was a crime scene that should have come with a big hazardous-materials warning label.

Police in Athabasca say it took them three days last week to clean up a synthetic drug laboratory after they heard about it through a tipster.

They say the chemicals they found were so toxic, they had to be handled with extreme care for disposal.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in northern Alberta say they found a clandestine drug laboratory that took about three days to dismantle. The interior of a clandestine drug lab in Colinton, a hamlet about 140 kilometres north of Edmonton, is shown in an undated police handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - RCMP (Mandatory Credit)
Royal Canadian Mounted Police in northern Alberta say they found a clandestine drug laboratory that took about three days to dismantle. The interior of a clandestine drug lab in Colinton, a hamlet about 140 kilometres north of Edmonton, is shown in an undated police handout image. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - RCMP (Mandatory Credit)

It was a big job, with specialized chemists and hazardous waste experts called in.

In the end, they seized about a kilogram of suspected fentanyl.

The search for suspects continues.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2026.

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