Calgary police seized 83 kg of phenacetin — a pain-relieving compound that was pulled from drug store shelves in the 1970s and is now used for cutting cocaine. Phenacetin has a numbing effect similar to cocaine but is far cheaper, so it's common for drug dealers to mix the two to boost their profits. | ![]() |
Police say multiple organizations in Calgary and other cities across Canada were receiving similar drugs distributed from the two men who were charged. The investigation was sparked after the Canadian Border Services Agency seized three 25kg barrels of phenacetin last year, all destined for Calgary. | ![]() |