Edmonton police have charged four men after discovering a massive opium poppy cultivation site in the city’s northwest, described by officers as one of the largest ever found in Canada.
Sukhdeep Dhanoa, 42, Sandeep Dandiwal, 33, Gurpreet Singh, 30, and Kulwinder Singh, 40, have each been charged with production of a controlled substance under Section 7(1) of the Act.
On 4 July, members of the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Section executed a search warrant at a property near 34 Street and 195 Avenue NW. Behind the residence, officers uncovered an estimated 60,000 opium poppy plants, with a potential street value between $160,000 and $500,000.
During the two-day investigation, police also found additional poppy seeds and doda powder — a substance made by grinding dried poppy pods, often brewed into a tea with strong analgesic effects that can be highly addictive.
Earlier The Australia Today had highlighted the blatant online sale of doda—a banned opiate made from crushed poppy husks—through Facebook Marketplace.
“An opium grow of this size is rarely encountered in Canada,” said Staff Sergeant Marco Antonio of the EDGE Section. “Even without signs of further processing, the volume of plants suggests they were likely being cultivated for the illicit market. Any opioid consumed outside medical supervision poses serious health risks, including addiction and broader community harm.”
Opium poppies contain morphine, a powerful painkiller that can be processed into heroin and other opioids. Under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, opium is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, reserved for substances considered to pose the highest risk.
Police have released aerial images of the poppy field and photographs of the seized material as part of the ongoing investigation.
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