Charges of trafficking dangerous opioids added for man already in drug trouble
By Peggy Revell on October 13, 2017.
prevell@medicinehatnews.com @MHNprevell Carfentanil and fentanyl trafficking charges have been added to the list of allegations against a Medicine Hat man arrested in June. Levi Aebig appeared before the Medicine Hat court Thursday, with the Federal Crown officially updating charges against the 32-year-old man to reflect results from analyzing substances seized earlier this year. Aebig already faces four counts of trafficking heroin, four counts of trafficking methamphetamine, possessing the proceeds of crime and weapons charges. Fentanyl has made headlines in recent years, due to its link to rising rates of overdoses. The opioid is considered 100 times more potent than morphine, and while it comes often in pill form, it’s often found laced into other street drugs. Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. It was originally developed as a sedative for very large animals. One or two small grains of the substance can be fatal in humans. Aebig was one of several people arrested in June following police investigations, where multiple drug purchases were made by an undercover officer throughout May. He was denied bail at a hearing in July, and has been in custody at the Medicine Hat Remand Centre. Defence counsel for Aebig had been looking toward early case resolution over the charges, but this has been delayed due to testing being done on the seized substances. Aebig’s next court appearance is Oct. 26. 11
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