The Canada Border Services Agency on Thursday said it has seized over 3.3 tonnes of chemicals used to make ecstasy and other drugs at Toronto Pearson International Airport, between the months of June and July.
The substances were found in multiple separate shipments examined by border services officers, CBSA said. The shipments were exclusively arriving from Asia.
The chemicals are used to manufacture ecstasy drugs that act on the central nervous system and can cause changes in mood, awareness, and behavior.
“Officer diligence prevented these precursor chemicals from being manufactured into harmful drugs and potentially impacting our communities,” CBSA’s regional director general for the Greater Toronto Area said in the release.
The CBSA screens goods, including commercial cargo and courier shipments, coming into Canada and examines more closely those that may pose a threat to the safety of Canadians.