Hamilton is believed to be the first Canadian city where liquid fentanyl has been discovered, shocking the city’s police force.

“This was a real shock to have seen this liquid fentanyl present in our city,” said Det. Const. Adam Brown with the vice and drug unit.

“All we know is that this is a very dangerous substance and definitely a cause for concern.”

A raid was executed back in May, when Hamilton police seized various types of drugs, including a liquid which they believed to be GHB at the time. GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is commonly known as the date rape drug.

Months later, lab tests from Health Canada showed it was actually liquid fentanyl, a solution that police say hasn’t been seen anywhere else in Canada. Following a consultation with both the government agency and the RCMP, Hamilton police concluded the discovery of the liquid drug was the first in the country.

“It wasn’t mixed with anything, no heroin, strictly the fentanyl solution in liquid, which was troubling,” Brown told CityNews. “The container itself was a very dark brown glass container and translucent.”

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Fentanyl is an opioid more commonly used as a painkiller, and it’s said to be up to 100 times more potent than morphine.

In the last few years the substance has made its way onto the illegal market, where dealers have been trafficking the drug in pill, powder, and patch form.

Canada continues to see an increase in overdoses and overdose deaths, and according to Hamilton Police, fentanyl-related overdose deaths are on the rise in the city.

Hamilton alone saw 31 opioid toxicity related deaths in 2014, and police say the discovery of the liquid fentanyl is raising red flags. While it may be the first city in Canada to discover the drug in liquid form, investigators don’t know if it’ll be the last.

“If we’re seeing it here in Hamilton, I can’t say whether or not it could be in Toronto,” Brown explains. “The fact that it’s here in Hamilton, is scary enough in itself.”

Little is known about this liquid solution, and as of yet, police don’t know its origins, its intended use or the level of concentration.

“With fentanyl, the only thing we have to take into consideration is that it’s extremely toxic to the human body,” said Brown.

Police are also concerned that if spotted, the public wouldn’t recognize the liquid fentanyl as an immediate danger.

“That’s one of the reasons it could be so scary,” Brown said. “People see translucent liquid, and it could be anything: water or liquid fentanyl.”

Investigators had to be in full chemical protective suits to handle the solution, which they say could easily be absorbed through the skin if contact is made.

“People on the street may not have that same type of protection or even know if they’re touching a substance,” Brown adds.

Hamilton police will be resubmitting a second sample to Health Canada labs, to learn more about the liquid fentanyl, its concentration and get an idea of where it could have possibly originated from.

Three Hamilton area people are facing charges in connection to the raids. Police say the drugs they seized have an approximate street value of $230,000.