Alberta RCMP warns of deadly counterfeit pills after death of 16-year-old in Edmonton area
The teen's death is under investigation, and while the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will ultimately determine the cause, RCMP said the circumstances surrounding the case prompted the force to act swiftly.
'Some of this substance was located with the deceased,' said Cpl. Troy Savinkoff, acting Alberta RCMP media relations manager. 'It's enough for RCMP to strongly believe that this was a strong potential cause of the death, and it's enough for us to have concern, to want to immediately communicate our concern.'
RCMP believe the counterfeit pill involved in the teen's death was obtained in Edmonton, and that the drug 'could very quickly make its way across the province.'
According to RCMP, the counterfeit pills mimic the appearance of Xanax but are grey instead of white, and they contain isotonitazene, a highly potent synthetic opioid which Savinkoff noted as 'a great concern' because it's 'very easy to overdose and cause death.'
The pills are rectangular, have the word ONAX stamped on one side, and a vertical '2' on the other.
Savinkoff said the public alert was necessary to prevent further harm.
'Parents, relatives, and other community members need to share this information as much as possible, and especially so now that school is out,' he said.
The Alberta RCMP is urging the public to avoid taking any medication not prescribed by a licensed pharmacist.
'It's a given that drugs should not be obtained if you don't have a prescription. Drugs are illegal for a reason. They're dangerous,' Savinkoff said. 'And if you don't have a prescription and you don't know where the drug came from, there's always going to be risk.'
Anyone who comes across pills matching the description or has information about replica prescriptions is asked to contact local police or call 310-RCMP.
cnguyen@postmedia.com
Related
Alberta Sheriffs shut down long-term drug house in south Edmonton
Two arrested, $22,000 in illegal drugs seized after traffic stop: EPS
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
9-year-old Canadian girl whose father was charged with her murder was drowned, authorities say
A preliminary autopsy revealed that 9-year-old Canadian girl Melina Galanis Frattolin was drowned, and her death has been ruled a homicide, New York State Police said Michael Sikirica performed the autopsy at Glens Falls Hospital on July 21. While final lab results are pending, the cause of death was listed as asphyxia due to drowning, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide, police said in a release. Melina's father, 45-year-old Luciano Frattolin, is facing charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse after allegedly fabricating a kidnapping story. CANADIAN GIRL, 9, FOUND DEAD IN NEW YORK AFTER FATHER CLAIMED SHE WAS KIDNAPPED Frattolin remains in custody at Essex County Correctional Facility after his arraignment Monday in Ticonderoga Town Court. According to investigators, Melina and her father crossed into the U.S. from Canada on July 11 for what was supposed to be a vacation. Surveillance showed the pair in Saratoga Springs around 5:30 p.m. on July 19, and Melina spoke to her mother by phone an hour later. But by 9:58 p.m., Frattolin called 911 from Lake George claiming his daughter had been abducted. Less than 16 hours later, Melina's body was discovered in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga, around 30 miles MYSTERIOUS KILLING ROCKS QUIET SUMMER VACATION AREA Authorities said no evidence supported Frattolin's claims of an abduction involving a suspicious van. Law enforcement agencies from New York, Canada, and the FBI assisted in the York state police are urging the public to submit tips, video, or dashcam footage showing the 2024 gray Toyota Prius the father and daughter traveled in between July 11 and July 19, particularly along I-87 Northway exits 28 to 20 during the evening of July 19.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
3 more murder charges laid against suspect in Lapu-Lapu Day Vancouver festival tragedy
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, the suspect in an alleged Vancouver car-ramming attack at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival, is now facing three additional counts of second-degree murder, according to police, bringing the total number of murder charges against him to 11. Lo is accused of driving his SUV through a crowd of people at the Filipino community's Lapu-Lapu Day street festival on April 26, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more. He was initially charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, and is set to face a court hearing on Wednesday to see if he is mentally fit to stand trial. Vancouver police said in a brief statement on Tuesday that Lo will face three additional counts of second-degree murder after prosecutors reviewed evidence submitted by homicide investigators.A five-year-old girl, eight women and two men were killed in the alleged car-ramming attack. It prompted the B.C. government to commission a report that made sweeping recommendations for event safety in B.C., as well as an outpouring of support for the Filipino diaspora. Many of the details surrounding Lo's Wednesday court appearance are subject to a court-ordered publication ban.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Charges laid after house fire, police cruiser ramming and pursuit near Prince Albert
Saskatchewan RCMP say three people are facing a minimum of nine charges each after an alleged crime spree involving arson, a high-speed car chase, intentional crashes, weapons and stolen property. It all happened on Friday, July 18 near Prince Albert, Sask., according to an RCMP news release. The accused include a 26-year-old woman and 28-year-old man from Sturgeon Lake First Nation, and a 20-year-old woman from Prince Albert. Prince Albert RCMP received reports of a fire at a home in Little Red River, Sask., on Friday morning. When officers, firefighters and EMS arrived, they found the house fully engulfed in flames. Two occupants of the building had escaped and were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to the house's occupants, one or more people had gone into the house, discharged a can of bear mace, stole multiple items, set the house on fire and took off in a vehicle. Just after 8:00 a.m. CST, officers found people matching the descriptions of the suspects outside another home on Sturgeon Lake First Nation. As police approached and activated their lights, the suspects took off in a car and a truck, RCMP say. Officers tried to pull them over, but the drivers didn't comply. The truck continued to flee and the car rammed into an occupied RCMP cruiser multiple times before taking off again, police say. The pursuit continued until the car came to a stop. Three suspects were arrested and officers searched the vehicle. RCMP say officers found a butane torch lighter, bear mace, an edged weapon, ammunition and stolen property. Police say officers also saw the suspects in the car throw something out of a window during the pursuit and later recovered a loaded, sawed-off rifle and a magazine. No officers were injured. Charges against the three suspects include assault on a police officer with a weapon, mischief over $5,000, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and multiple firearms offences. On top of that, the 26-year-old woman is charged with arson, administering a noxious thing (bear mace), assault with a weapon and robbery. The 28-year-old man is also facing charges of robbery and not complying with a probation order. The three made their first appearance in Prince Albert provincial court on Monday.