A man has been charged after carfentanil was detected in a substance seized by investigators in the Estevan area in October 2017.

Marion Ellson, 52, is charged with posession for the purpose of trafficking.

Estevan RCMP was advised by the Health Canada Drug Analysis Centre that carfentanil has been detected after submitting the substance to Health Canada for testing.

Ellson remains in custody pending her next court appearance Monday, December 18, 2017 in Estevan.

Police warn carfentanil may still be circulating in southern Saskatchewan. Avoid all contact with it and notify police if yo do come into contact with the drug. Provincial health authorities are providing situational awareness to their staff.

Carfentanil is a derivative of fentanyl, but can be 100 times more powerful and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Exposure to a very small amount of this drug could be fatal through ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin. Carfentanil is regulated under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).