City of Chilliwack to seek $53K in costs related to massive drug lab; property owner to appeal

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On August 1, 2026, the city says it notified the property owner at 44843 South Sumas Road of the service costs being imposed and the right to appeal the imposition of service cost charges within 14 days. The unidentified property owner has exercised their right to appeal and is scheduled to attend this Tuesday’s meeting in person to address Chilliwack City Council about the charge of $53,010.52.

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City staff are recommending that council members hear the appeal presented by the property owner and uphold the decision to collect the service costs of $53,010.52.

Authorities are pictured at the scene of a drug lab on South Sumas Road in October 2025. (Image Credit: Mike Vanden Bosch.)

According to a statement from Chilliwack RCMP spokesperson Corporal Carmen Kiener, police located nearly 400,000 doses of fentanyl, thousands of MDMA pills, and more than 5,000 kilograms of chemicals and precursors used in the production of controlled substances at the clandestine drug lab on South Sumas Road in Chilliwack in October 2025.

Two people were arrested in October 2025 pursuant to a drug trafficking and production investigation. Those suspects were 35-year-old Justin Fauth and 37-year-old Carlos Martinez. On October 3, 2025, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada approved charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for production and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Following the completion of safety protocols and a review of the substances, investigators said the following quantities of illicit material were seized during the investigation:

• Fentanyl, Fluorofentanyl, Fentanyl analogues, and mixtures containing fentanyl: Approximately 39.31 kilograms, equivalent to over 391,100 doses;
• Methyl-Methcathinone: Approximately 43.09 kilograms;
• Methamphetamine and mixtures containing methamphetamine: Approximately 2.9 kilograms;
• MDMA: Approximately 3.96 kilograms and an additional 3,766 pills;
• More than 5,000 kilograms of chemicals and precursors used in the production of controlled substances;
• Clandestine lab equipment and production materials including but not limited to reactor vessels, glassware, evaporators, holding tanks, and mixers, and a pill press. 

Police say the inherent dangers associated with clandestine drug laboratories, the safe handling, dismantling, and analysis of the substances and equipment seized was a process that took a significant amount of time. Specialized resources, including Health Canada chemists and the RCMP Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team (CLEAR), were deployed to ensure the safety of the investigators and the public during the removal and disposal of the drugs, chemicals, and related equipment.

Additionally, civilian hazardous waste experts were brought in from out of province to address a specific, highly dangerous chemical located on site that posed a significant risk to public safety.

Provincial Tactical Enforcement Priority (PTEP) funding from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) contributed several hundreds of thousands of dollars towards the costs associated with the safe dismantling of the clandestine lab, as well as the cost of other policing expenses for this investigation. Police say the PTEP program is an integrated, province‑wide targeting process managed by the CFSEU‑BC. It identifies individuals associated with gangs and organized crime and supports law enforcement in prioritizing offenders whose criminal activities pose significant risks to public safety and cause the greatest harm to communities.