Police have seized eight kilograms of fentanyl from a vehicle in southern Saskatchewan.

RCMP and Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers found the drugs hidden under a spare tire during a traffic stop in the Swift Current area on Tuesday.

Mounties say two people in the vehicle indicated they were travelling to Regina.

The two accused, who are from Calgary, have been charged with trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

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The arrests come as U.S. President Donald Trump has cited the flow of fentanyl into his country as a reason for imposing tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico starting Saturday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures show officials seized 9,930 kilograms of fentanyl at American borders between October 2023 and September 2024, with 20 kilograms of that coming from Canada.

“This is a significant fentanyl seizure,” RCMP Supt. Grant St. Germaine said in a statement Friday.

“We have prevented potentially millions of doses of this dangerous drug from entering our communities.

“I hope this is a message to others who choose to transport illicit goods in our province. Our officers are watching out for you.”

Saskatchewan recently redeployed 16 officers to the border, while the federal government committed $1.3 billion in December to bolster border security.