Four barrels of ‘super buff’ cocaine cutting agent seized in Calgary

Almost a year since barrels of a cocaine-cutting agent known as ‘super buff’ were seized in Vancouver, four more have been found in Calgary.

On Wednesday, the Calgary Police Service announced it had made its largest seizure of phenacetin, a pain-relieving pharmaceutical drug which is used to make cocaine more profitable.

CPS Sgt. Mark Hatchette said it’s a significant seizure.

“This does make a dent in the organized crime activities of drug traffickers in the city at a high level,” he said. “We’re very confident that future investigations will stem from this seizure and we will be successful in the future with prosecution of these criminals and other criminals of the type.”

Back in July and then October, three barrels of the drug were seized by the Canada Border Services Agency, at around 78 kilograms.

“This is our first seizure and it’s significant,” CBSA Chief Candace Lyle said.

The drug was destined for Calgary, sparking a CPS investigation in January where two people were targeted.

On Thursday, April 20th, CPS searched a home in the Beltline and found the four barrels of the drug worth about $83,000, along with 5.3 grams of cocaine, cash, a gun and other drug items.

Two people from Calgary, 32-year-old Mohamed Omar and 31-year-old Yasmin Mohammed are now facing multiple charges.

“These individuals that were arrested are cogs in a bigger picture,” Hatchette said. “Their sole job and purpose in organized crime in Calgary and in Canada is to provide that ‘super buff’ phenacetin to make cocaine more profitable.”

“They didn’t belong to one specific crime group, but they had ties to multiple crime groups.”

Phenacetin was deregulated for use in Canada in the 1970s because of its cancer-causing properties.

Hatchette said drug dealers use one kilogram of phenacetin for one kilogram of cocaine and press it together to make it more profitable, adding that the $83,000 estimate of the four barrels is probably low.