7 people charged, including Toronto doctor, after police bust fentanyl ring

Seven people were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday after York Regional Police, working in conjunction with the Greater Sudbury Police Service, disrupted a fentanyl trafficking ring.

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York Police say they received information about the possible ring in October of 2015. Over the next six months,theDrugs and Vice Unit investigatedhowfentanylpatches were being illegally obtained, transported to the Greater Sudbury areaand sold.

Const.Andy Pattenden of York Regional Police said the ring "involved a doctor's office in the city of Toronto distributing or prescribing fentanyl patches."

Investigators allege the doctorworked with street-leveldealers to obtain and distribute the fentanyl patches, which were then sold for about $400-$500 per patch.

Police searchedmultiple properties and seized nearly 300patches, which they say areworth an estimated street value of $120,000, along withmore than $50,000 in currency, prescription notes and documents.

Police arrested the suspects on Jan.20, 2016 without incident. They're beingchargedwith trafficking in a controlled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy.

The suspects werescheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket Wednesday.

Fentanyl Warning

York Regional Police are taking the opportunity to remindthe public about the dangers of fentanyl.

The drug is an opioid-based painkiller roughly 100 times stronger than morphine, police say, and ingesting, injecting or smoking fentanylcould result in a fatal overdose.

"When used properly as a prescription, it is good," saidConst.Pattenden. "However, when it is abused for illicit purposes, that's when the dangers can arise."

Policedescribe the drug asextremely potent, and say once a patch is altered, there is no way of determining the concentration of the substance.

They advise those who want further information to visit www.facethefentanyl.ca, follow @facethefentanyl on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/facethefentanyl/.