Montreal police make arrests in connection with 15-year-old's overdose death
2 suspects allegedly sold synthetic opioids to teen who overdosed in his home
Montreal police have arrested two individuals suspected of selling synthetic opioids, in connection with the overdose death of a 15-year-old boy in the Sud-Ouest borough in December 2023.
The suspects, a 24-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy, are facing charges of drug trafficking and possession of illegal drugs with intent to traffic. The 24-year-old was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, while the 17-year-old will appear in youth court at a later date.
Police also carried out three raids in residential buildings and another in a vehicle, seizing around 100 pills.
On December 22, 2023, 15-year-old Mathis Boivin died after overdosing on Nitazene, a synthetic opioid that is five times stronger than fentanyl.
Mathis's father, Christian Boivin, expressed deep emotion upon receiving a call from the police about the arrests related to his son's death. "It puts balm on the injury," he said.
Since the tragedy, Christian has been speaking publicly in schools to raise awareness about the dangers of opioids. He hopes for more government action and increased funding to prevent similar deaths.
"Are we going to wait for other teens like Mathis to die every day?" he asked on Radio-Canada's Tout un Matin. "It's too late for my son, but maybe we can save others."
