A Brampton man was arrested Oct. 20 and charged with several drug offences. Police at the time raided a Brampton store- Nath Meat and Chicken Deli on Sandalwood Parkway East- and house and seized more than $10,000 in cash and 38.4 kg of doda, with a street value of $68,0000.

Police also allege pure opium was being sold from the store, and they seized $2,100 worth of opium pods.

The doda powder was sent to Health Canada for analysis and results have just been confirmed, according to police.

Doda is described as a greyish powder that is derived from poppy plant husks and is consumed in different ways, including mixing it with warm water to make a tea.

Brampton Councillor Vicky Dhillon has raised concerns about the powder and its use.

"Poppy flower powder is available in a number of meat shops and flea markets. Various outlets are openly selling poppy flowers to our children, at an eminently affordable price of $10 for 10 grams- and just two tablespoons of this powder, swallowed with a glass of water, is enough to make a person super hyper," Dhillon said recently. "I have discovered that local meat shops in Brampton are also mixing some additional chemicals into the poppy powder to make it even stronger and more potent."

Doda can contain such small amounts of opiate that it is not considered illegal, or larger amounts of opiate that do make it illegal.

"In the past, we have seized and sent off doda for analysis and it's come back that there hasn't been enough opiates in it to be an illegal substance. In this instance, there was," said Peel Sgt. Zahir Shah. "If the amount of opiates in doda is high enough, it is an illegal substance. More importantly, it is bad for your health. It can be addictive."

October's investigation was sparked by community complaints, and Peel police say they want to hear from residents who know of anyone selling doda or anyone in possession of the powder.

"We will investigate," Shah said.

Peel Health has called for closer scrutiny of doda.

"At this time there is no safe level of usage for poppy powder," Peel Health spokesperson Allison Imrie said recently. "Poppy powder is a growing issue in Peel. We recommend taking precautions when it comes to this substance since this belongs to the opioid family which forms the base for heroin, morphine, and prescription drugs like Tylenol 3."

Ashwani Bhangal, 42, has been charged with three counts of drug trafficking and one count of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. Those charges are still before the courts.