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'I'm Smarter Than They Are': Underground Chemist Says Police Losing Fentanyl Battle
CBC ^ | Nov 26, 2016 | Jon Hernandez

Posted on 11/27/2016 3:02:36 PM PST by nickcarraway

In new documentary, B.C. drug producer known as Beeker says fentanyl is just the beginning

A B.C. drug producer known as Beeker says underground chemists are steps ahead of the police when it comes to the movement of illicit drugs on the streets.

Beeker is the subject of a new documentary, Unstoppable: The Fentanyl Epidemic, in which he opens up about the big business behind the drug.

He says police are far behind when it comes to tracking drugs throughout the province, and he says many local chemists are synthesizing drugs with materials ordered from China.

"I'm smarter than they are ... all of us chemists are smarter than the police, and we're gonna stay ahead of them," he coldly tells filmmaker Robert Osborne. "And if they find out one of the ones we are making, we'll make a different one — and this will go on forever."

Recent news does seem to prove him right: even deadlier opioids have already hit the streets in Vancouver. Carfentanil has turned up in several instances, according to Vancouver police — and it's 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

Deadly carfentanil worries health officials

"Fentanyl is soon to be obsolete. It's just not going to be out there because there's much more profitable drugs — it doesn't matter about better or safer — much more profitable drugs and molecules are on the way," Beeker says in the film.

"They're in the mail right now."

Beeker Beeker is known to police and has been arrested for producing drugs. He is the subject of a new documentary titled Unstoppable: The Fentanyl Epidemic. (Robert Osborne/Unstoppable: The Fentanyl Epidemic)

Trying to stay ahead

Beeker's ominous words echo throughout the upcoming film, which will air Dec. 1 on CBC Television.

Another person featured is RCMP Cpl. Eric Boechler of B.C.'s Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team. Boechler has had several run-ins with the notorious drug producer, and admits that his words are frustrating.

"I know Beeker — I've been involved in an operation where he's been arrested," he told host Gloria Macarenko on CBC's BC Almanac.

"He's someone we definitely keep tabs on because we do know that, likely, he's going to get back into it." In his role with the enforcement and response team, Boechler is at the forefront of B.C.'s opioid epidemic, which has claimed more than 600 lives. He says it's an uphill battle as different compounds hit the streets.

"Unfortunately, it's bigger or worse every month. We're being deployed more and more than we ever have before to incidents across the province. We are seeing stronger, more potent analogs beyond what just fentanyl is ... more potent and dangerous compounds [are] coming out all the time."

Boechler says the RCMP is working to the best of its abilities.

"There's always emerging trends coming out. We are playing catch-up all the time, we're trying to get in front of whatever new compound may be coming out. Get it regulated as soon as we can, and prevent it from being put out on the street."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Local News
KEYWORDS: bigpharma; carfentanil; china; designerdrugs; dopersrights; drugs; drugwar; fentanyl; opioids; wod
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To: nickcarraway
They really aren't smarter, they just have the advantage. Time to take the advantage away.

The only way I know to do that is to make it illegal for any unlicensed and unregulated manufacture or possession of any substance for consumption that can be smoked, ingested, inhaled, or injected be deemed illegal regardless of it being on a list of controlled substances at the time it is encountered.

Only then will they be on an equal playing field. Because currently one has to work within certain laws while the other is using those laws to skirt prosecution.

If we are to get serious about the problem that is. Otherwise, we are playing a game that will never result in victory in the combat against illegal drugs.

21 posted on 11/27/2016 4:18:25 PM PST by Robert DeLong
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To: nickcarraway
There will never be an end to the drug problem as long as the sentencing is limited jail time.

The only solution is death to all the traffickers.............

22 posted on 11/27/2016 4:23:07 PM PST by Hot Tabasco
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To: SeeSharp

You really believe that potency would not have increased without drug prohibition? Like how engine horsepower has gone way up because of government restrictions..oh, wait!


23 posted on 11/27/2016 4:30:59 PM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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To: SeeSharp

Shhhhh
You’ll rile up the jack boot lickers and drug warrior types. They are incapable of learning that prohibition is never the answer.


24 posted on 11/27/2016 4:40:50 PM PST by RedStateRocker (Nuke Mecca, deport all illegal aliens, abolish the IRS, DEA and ATF.)
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To: SeeSharp
Marijuana is now more than twenty times more powerful than the stuff we had when I was in High school back in the 70's.

I would expect the potency to go up with time whether marijuana was legal or not. Consumers are always seeking a better product and suppliers respond. Why would I expect any difference whether the product is prohibited or not?

25 posted on 11/27/2016 4:48:05 PM PST by CommerceComet (Hillary: A unique blend of incompetence and corruption.)
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To: nickcarraway

To this point I think law enforcement has been parasitic —they get good funding as long as the war on drugs continues, and like a virus they are careful NOT to kill the host. The super high-ups actually do NOT want to win.

But at one point not so long ago CHINA was the country with the highest number of addicts by far, the British bank HSBC was even set up specifically to launder all the cash from drug dealing with China.

And now in fact China has comparatively FEW addicts and that was because they simply executed anyone they discovered in the trade.


26 posted on 11/27/2016 4:53:42 PM PST by gaijin
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To: nickcarraway
unless the chemicals are repackaged and or re-mailed elsewhere before entering canada, how hard can it be tracing packages from CHINA to their destination?
27 posted on 11/27/2016 5:05:22 PM PST by Chode (You Owe Them Nothing - Not Respect, Not Loyalty, Not Obedience, NOTHING! ich bin ein Deplorable...)
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To: CommerceComet; SoCal Pubbie

People have been smoking marijuana since before recorded history. Yet it is here and now that all of a sudden the potency has risen dramatically.


28 posted on 11/27/2016 5:09:12 PM PST by SeeSharp
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To: RedStateRocker
How many billions have been spent on the war on drugs? Has the war on drugs stopped drug use? How did booze prohibition turn out?

It's not going to stop folks. The money would be better spent on drug treatment. Attack the behavior. Until demand is reduced, there will be no progress.

Alcohol is the deadliest drug on the planet. Alcohol has been responsible for more deaths than all other drugs combined. How bout making alcohol illegal once again? Yea, right. It's perfectly ok for millions to go out on a Friday/Saturday night and catch a buzz....or hammered on the most widely distributed drug, ALCOHOL.

It's so damn hypocritical lawmakers spend a hard day legislating, pat themselves on the back at the end of the day and promptly tootle on down to the local drug flop house...called the pub to knock back a few scotch and sodas.

I don't have the answer and I'm not sure what the right answer is. Legalization? Decriminalization? I dunno. What I know for certain is it's not OK to talk about killing druggies when many of those same folks partake in an equally harmful drug...alcohol.

29 posted on 11/27/2016 5:15:11 PM PST by servantboy777
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To: SeeSharp

Overnight? Don’t think so.


30 posted on 11/27/2016 5:47:17 PM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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To: Hot Tabasco
The only solution is death to all the traffickers

That would take the fun out of it, put the risk through the roof. There would still be traffickers out there - they'd just be fewer, better armed, and literally fight to the death rather than surrender to arrest.

Those that were caught - rather than two in the forehead as someone else suggested, I'd say a couple of JHP to the gut and let them bleed out, no pain meds.

31 posted on 11/27/2016 6:11:09 PM PST by ThunderSleeps (Stop obarma now! Stop the hussein - insane agenda!)
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To: SeeSharp
People have been smoking marijuana since before recorded history. Yet it is here and now that all of a sudden the potency has risen dramatically.

Name one horticultural product whose productivity hasn't increased dramatically in the past few decades. Horticultural science, whether applied to legal or illegal products, has come a long way. To me that seems a more plausible reason for the increase in THC levels in pot than whether marijuana is a legal or illegal product.

32 posted on 11/27/2016 6:12:31 PM PST by CommerceComet (Hillary: A unique blend of incompetence and corruption.)
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To: CommerceComet
You don't get more nutrition out of a modern corn plant. You just get more resistance to bugs and weed spray. Marijuana, opiods, cocaine, and alcohol are different. These products have become more economically dense. You make more money from given units of weight and volume. This doesn't serve the consumer. For the consumer more potent drugs or alcohol simply means taking less to achieve a given level of effect. Increasing potency serves the smuggler only. It makes it easier to make more money for a given level of risk.

BTW, the higher levels of THC in modern pot comes mainly from plant breeding, not high tech. It could have been achieved at any time in history if there had been a market demand for it. But when weed was unregulated it was cheap and easily obtainable so there was no need.

33 posted on 11/27/2016 6:36:39 PM PST by SeeSharp
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To: SeeSharp
"...Marijuana is now more than twenty times more powerful than the stuff we had when I was in High school ..."

Actually, it is 3 to 5 times as strong, and no one has ever overdosed on cannabis. The accepted upper limit to THC in cannabis is approximately 20 to 25%.

The thing that has increased is the terpenes and other non-psychoactive components.

34 posted on 11/28/2016 8:21:09 AM PST by T-Bone Texan (The time is now to form up into leaderless cells of 5 men or less.)
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