VANCOUVER — A chemical firm based in Port Coquitlam, B.C., claims Health Canada wrongfully cancelled its licences to make natural health products after being sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged involvement in importing precursor chemicals that could be used in illicit drug production.
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo had said in a statement at the time that the targets of the sanctions included a China-based network involved in the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl and "other substances that take thousands of American lives each year." Valerian Labs says the Health Canada decisions were unreasonable and unfair, having relied on an uncorroborated "foreign press release."
He said he had been instructed by his lawyer to "not engage" with The Canadian Press, and said he did not consent to the use of his remarks. He was told an off-the-record interview needed to be agreed upon from the outset. In a written statement, Health Canada said its "top priority is protecting the health and safety of the people of Canada."
In 2021, a B.C. Provincial Court judge found police had breached the couple's Charter rights against unreasonable search and seizure in a cheque fraud investigation.