Edmonton police charge four in massive poppy field bust

Edmonton police have charged four people—Sukhdeep Dhanoa, 42, Sandeep Dandiwal, 33, Gurpreet Singh, 30, and Kulwinder Singh, 40—in connection with a massive opium poppy cultivation.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Edmonton police have charged four people—Sukhdeep Dhanoa, 42, Sandeep Dandiwal, 33, Gurpreet Singh, 30, and Kulwinder Singh, 40—in connection with a massive opium poppy cultivation discovered in the city’s northwest.

On July 4, officers from the Edmonton drug and gang enforcement section executed a search warrant near 34 Street and 195 Avenue NW, uncovering roughly 60,000 poppy plants.

Police estimate the street value of the crop at between $160,000 and $500,000.

During their two-day investigation, officers also located additional poppy seeds and doda powder, which is made by grinding opium poppy pods and is used to make a type of tea with analgesic effects that can be highly addictive.

Opium contains morphine, a potent painkiller, and can be processed into heroin and other opioids. It is classified as a Schedule 1 substance under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, reserved for the highest-risk drugs.

“An opium grow of this size is rarely seen in Canada,” said Sgt. Marco Antonio with the Edmonton gang and drug enforcement unit.

“Even without evidence of processing, the volume suggests the plants were likely intended for the illicit market. Any opioid consumed outside medical direction poses serious health risks, including addiction and community harm.”