The Nova Scotia government says, for the first time, fentanyl has been seized at a correctional facility in the province.
According to a news release, a package with unknown contents was found during a routine search at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth on Feb. 9.
The provincial government says the package was turned over to Halifax Regional Police and sent to Health Canada for testing.
The test results, received Friday, confirmed the presence of fentanyl, a powerful opioid that has claimed hundreds of lives across Canada in recent years.
Halifax Regional Police are investigating the incident.
The province says Correctional Services has purchased five body scanners to help protect inmates and staff from drugs, weapons and other contraband. The body scanners are being installed and will soon be operational.
