Man was ‘mid-level’ dealer of fentanyl, meth, heroin

Crown looks to put Harmanpal Sidhu behind bars for up to 12 years

KITCHENER — Harmanpal Sidhu, who was selling fentanyl, crystal meth and heroin was a “mid-level” dealer who had a “substantial” amount of fentanyl, testified a Waterloo Regional Police drug officer.

Det. Sgt. Ben Handfield of the guns and gangs unit told court Monday that Sidhu was likely receiving the drugs he was selling from another supplier.

Sidhu, 25, pleaded guilty to 15 drug-related charges, including five counts of trafficking in fentanyl.

Federal prosecutor Alyssa Bain is asking for 10 to 12 years in prison while defence lawyer Jaime Stephenson is suggesting a range of four to five years in prison. Sidhu has been jail since his arrest on Aug. 18.

Justice Colin Westman said he thinks four to five years is in the low range for sentencing.

Fentanyl has caused a nationwide crisis. Locally, paramedics are responding to opioid-related calls daily, with nearly two overdoses a day.

Last June, Waterloo Regional Police began investigating Sidhu after confidential sources said he was trafficking in fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine. On four occasions, an undercover officer bought drugs from him in amounts ranging from 1.4 grams to 9.5 grams.

Each time, Sidhu told the officer it was heroin. Each time, tests showed it was fentanyl.

On Aug. 18, the officer arranged to buy 56 grams (two ounces) of heroin for $7,200.

Police watched as Sidhu and his girlfriend, Brittany Thorn, left their apartment at 118 Third Ave. in Kitchener to head to the meeting place at Forest Glen Plaza on Strasburg Road. Thorn left the car before it entered the parking lot, then stayed close by as the officer met with Sidhu.

As the undercover officer began to count out the money, police swooped in to arrest Sidhu and Thorn. Thorn had in her purse 55.5 grams of fentanyl powder, 11.7 grams of meth and a digital scale.

In Sidhu’s car police found 1.4 grams of marijuana and $240 in the glove box and two phones.

On Aug. 19, police searched their apartment and found 202 grams of meth, 42.8 grams of heroin, 16.6 grams of fentanyl, 4.3 grams of marijuana, 26 illegal knives, three shotgun shells, $3,595 in cash, a digital scale, drug packaging, debt lists and cutting agents.

Fentanyl powder and heroin have similar streets values, about $220 to $240 per gram. Meth is worth $80 to $100 a gram.

During one sale of 4.4 grams of fentanyl, Sidhu advised the officer the “heroin” was 10 times stronger than what had been previously purchased and warned him to be “very careful when handling it.”

Sidhu also explained how to “cut” the drug before selling it to boost the profit margin.

Court heard that the number of fentanyl-related deaths in 2016 ranged from 15 to 20. This year, already, the number has hit 23 opioid-related deaths.

In 2016, police recorded 90 seizures of the fentanyl powder.

The region is second to Toronto in the influx of fentanyl, Bain told court.

Handfield said the high on fentanyl is more intense and police across the country are concerned about the effects of the potent drug.

Handfield said in speaking to users, most will not use fentanyl alone. They will take turns and someone will watch with nalox-

one on standby as another person gets high, he said.

“This is causing greater community impact than any other drug I’ve seen in my career,” said Handfield, who’s worked with local police for 21 years.

Dr. Karen Woodall, a forensic toxicologist for the Centre for Forensic Sciences in Toronto, fentanyl is a popular drug of choice for abuse because it’s easy to get high because it’s so strong.

Woodall said she has seen an increase in fentanyl in death investigations. Five years ago, fentanyl was seen in patch form and in the last year, fentanyl has been seen in powder form more often.

When analyzing fentanyl, toxicologists wear gloves, masks and there is access to naloxone, the antidote to fentanyl, nearby.

Woodall said the dangers in the fentanyl powder suggest “hot spots” which are higher concentrations of the potent drug are not uniform.

“There is no way of telling by looking at it,” she said.

Woodall said the fentanyl patches have two to 17 milligrams of fentanyl, while one gram of the powder can have 24 to 31 milligrams of the fentanyl.

The sentencing hearing will continue next month. Thorn will be sentenced May 11.