Calgary police have arrested a man and a woman after a record amount of phenacetin was seized from a southwest home last week.

Phenacetin is a pain-relieving pharmaceutical drug and is also known as ‘Super Buff’, which is used as a cutting agent for cocaine.

Police seized four barrels of the drug, about 83 kilograms, from an apartment in the 1000 block of 14th Avenue S.W. last Thursday.

Investigators say the seizure is a record for Calgary and that the drugs are worth more than $80,000.

Police also confiscated the following items:

  • 5.3 grams of cocaine
  • $7,800 in Canadian currency
  • A loaded 9mm Glock handgun
  • Various tools used in the re-processing of drugs including; scales, money counters and electronic devices

Last year, CBSA officials in Vancouver seized three barrels of phenacetin that were bound for Calgary in a separate investigation.

“There are two seizures of phenacetin. There was the original seizures by CBSA of 75 kilos, last July and October, those were barrels that came through the Vancouver Mail Centre from Hong Kong. So we seized those and sent them to the lab for testing and that’s what sparked the partnership with CPS, because they were destined to Calgary. Then CPS was involved in a further investigation and the seizure of another 83 kilos,” said CBSA Chief Candace Lyle.

CBSA officials shared their information with Calgary police in January and officers identified a potential address that was associated with the suspects on April 20, 2017.

The occupants of the home were located and arrested the same day in northwest Calgary.

Mohamed Sirage Omar, 32, is charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, loaded restricted firearm, label drugs deceptively, import drug without a licence and two counts of possession of a firearm while prohibited.

Yasmin Ibrahim Mohammed, 31, of Calgary, is charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, careless storage of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence and possession of a loaded restricted firearm.

"These individuals that were arrested are cogs in a bigger picture. Their sole job and purpose in organized crime in Calgary and in Canada is to provide that buff, super buff phenacetin available to make cocaine more profitable for larger organized crime groups," said CPS Staff Sergeant Mark Hatchette.

Omar is expected to appear in court on the charges on Wednesday.