BURST
Police have now processed a vast cache of illicit drugs, including nearly 40 kilograms of fentanyl, that were seized late last year during a bust of a clandestine drug lab in Chilliwack.
Chilliwack RCMP gave an update on the investigation Wednesday after a drug trafficking and production investigation that led to the arrest of two men last October.
On Oct. 2, 2025, Chilliwack Mounties, specialized RCMP units and partners searched several homes, storage lockers and a clandestine lab on South Sumas Road.
Two men, 35‑year‑old Justin Fauth and 37‑year‑old Carlos Martinez, were arrested the same day.
The seized items have since been analyzed and quantified, and include:
• 39.31 kilos of fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and mixtures containing fentanyl, the equivalent of nearly 400,000 doses
• 43.09 kilos of methyl-methcathinone, often referred to as “bath salts”
• 2.9 kilos of methamphetamine and mixtures containing meth
• 3.96 kilos of MDMA, plus 3,766 MDMA pills
• Over 5,000 kilos of chemicals and precursors used in producing illegal drugs
• Production equipment associated with clandestine drug labs, including reactor vessels, glassware, evaporators, holding tanks and mixers, and a pill press
In November 2025, police also seized 50.47 kilograms of fluorofentanyl, the equivalent of 504,700 doses, which investigators have tied to the clandestine lab.
“Due to the inherent dangers associated with clandestine drug laboratories, the safe handling, dismantling and analysis of the substances and equipment seized was a process that took a significant amount of time,” said Chilliwack RCMP in a news release.
Chemists from Health Canada and the RCMP’s clandestine lab enforcement and response team removed and disposed of the drugs, chemicals and equipment, and civilian hazardous waste experts were brought in from out-of-province to deal with the stash, which included a “highly dangerous chemical located on-site that posed a significant risk to public safety.”
The operation required “several hundred thousand dollars” from an RCMP tactical enforcement team, part of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit that deals with complex gang and drug trafficking investigations.
“The scale of this seizure underscores the serious threat organized crime poses to public safety,” said Supt. Gary Hiar of the enforcement unit.
Hiar said the unit works with police partners across B.C. “to identify and prioritize the most harmful offenders, ensuring resources are directed where they will have the greatest impact in protecting our communities.”
Bylaw officers from the City of Chilliwack are also working to recover the costs of the seizure and cleanup.
Fauth and Martinez are still in custody as the case makes its way through the court process.
“Investigations like this demonstrate our ongoing commitment to targeting those responsible and working with our partners to reduce the presence of dangerous drugs in Chilliwack,” said Supt. Darren Pankratz, the officer in charge of the Upper Fraser Valley RCMP.