Canada ramped up its fight against illicit drug production in 2025 — but experts say tougher legal tools must come next

Canadian authorities made a concerted effort in 2025 to demonstrate they were taking illicit drug production more seriously, particularly as international scrutiny intensified over the flow of synthetic opioids and other drugs.

That push included the appointment of a national “fentanyl czar” to co-ordinate enforcement agencies, frequent public announcements of large-scale drug seizures, and new legislative proposals aimed at restricting access to precursor chemicals and expanding surveillance powers at the border.

Much of the political momentum was driven by pressure from the United States, where President Donald Trump framed a tariff dispute around claims that Canada was not doing enough to stop fentanyl from moving south. While experts dispute those claims, they say the attention has nevertheless forced a closer look at the international networks involved in Canada’s drug trade.

Neil Boyd, a professor emeritus of criminology at Simon Fraser University, says the fentanyl czar role reflects a growing recognition that drug production is no longer a purely domestic issue.

“There are extensive connections between Canada, Southeast Asia and China,” Boyd said. “Organized crime groups in all of these regions collaborate, and precursor chemicals regularly enter Canada as part of that supply chain.”

Boyd argues that while fentanyl exports from Canada are often overstated, the country does play a significant role in the global methamphetamine market.

“The production networks here don’t just serve Canadians,” he said. “They also supply international markets across the Pacific, including Australia.”

Australian federal authorities have confirmed that over the past several years, large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and MDMA traced back to Canada have been seized abroad — though they note seizures declined sharply in the most recent year.

Canadian officials, meanwhile, maintain that fentanyl remains primarily a domestic crisis, contributing to a large share of toxic drug deaths, particularly in British Columbia.

Looking ahead, Boyd says enforcement alone won’t be enough. He believes Canada must also reform how it prosecutes organized crime.

“Criminal trials are taking far too long,” he said, pointing to complex disclosure requirements that can delay proceedings and sometimes lead to cases being thrown out altogether. He argues that improved technology or changes to the Criminal Code could help speed up disclosures and keep cases moving.

Boyd also wants governments to focus more aggressively on the financial side of organized crime by expanding civil forfeiture powers and unexplained wealth orders — tools designed to seize assets that cannot be legitimately accounted for.

An interim report released this year by Canada’s fentanyl czar echoed those concerns, calling for stronger measures to combat money laundering and financial crimes tied to drug production. While the federal government’s proposed border security legislation includes some of those tools, it has faced criticism from civil liberties groups and uncertain prospects in Parliament.

Still, Boyd says meaningful progress against organized crime will require bold legal changes.

“If Canada wants to be serious about disrupting these networks,” he said, “it has to go beyond seizures and symbolism, and start hitting organized crime where it really hurts — in the courts and in their finances.”