Pubdate: Sat, 08 Jul 2000
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2000 The Toronto Star
Contact:  One Yonge St., Toronto ON, M5E 1E6
Fax: (416) 869-4322
Website: http://www.thestar.com/
Forum: http://www.thestar.com/editorial/disc_board/
Authors: Juanita Losch, Alison Blackduck and Peter Small, Staff Reporters

POLICE BUST MASSIVE ECSTASY LAB

Neighbouring homes evacuated for safety

Two men have been arrested after police busted what is being called
the largest drug laboratory in Canadian history, seizing millions of
dollars worth of chemicals used to produce ecstasy from a Markham house.

"From floor to ceiling, from the basement right up to the top floor, a
clandestine ecstasy laboratory," said RCMP Constable Michele Paradis.

"We've had a few ecstasy deaths over the last little while, and we're
going to make a major dent in the ecstasy supply and demand with this
takedown."

Sixteen surrounding homes on Larksmere Crt., a quiet treed street
lined with modest two-storey brick homes, were evacuated by police
yesterday morning as a safety precaution because of the chemicals.

"We're not going to take a chance," said Sergeant Frank Auld of York
Region police.

The residents were allowed back into their homes last night, but were
to be asked to leave again today as police were to continue the
investigation.

Nearby Highgate School was opened to accommodate the evacuated
residents.

RCMP officers and York Region police raided the house in the
Birchmount and Kennedy Rd. area at 11 a.m. yesterday.

The smell of root beer and licorice, the odour of the chemicals,
pervaded the house, police said.

Officers wearing respirators and white protective suits and yellow
booties with duct tape wrapped around their ankles carried out clear
bottles of chemicals.

More than a dozen blue and white steel drums were piled in the home's
driveway, waiting to be filled with the chemicals, which included
acetone, chloroform, formic acid, sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid.

Police also seized round-bottom flasks, heating mantles, condensor
tubes and a pill press valued at $10,000.

Eight officers were working inside the house, cleaning the area out,
police said. York Region Constable Rob Cullen said this is probably
the biggest bust of its kind in Ontario history, adding that the
chemicals found were used to make ecstasy and no other drugs.

Cullen said that a chemist who has worked for Health Canada for the
past 20 years said he has seen similar operations, but nothing of this
magnitude.

Acting Staff Sergeant Bisson Ramdewar, of the York force, said he's
not sure of the exact quantity of chemicals seized, but said they were
worth millions of dollars.

"This is a very serious bust," he said.

Raymond Khan, 34, who lives several houses away from the lab, said the
residents had lived in the rented house for the past four years.

His wife, Fazeila, 31, said the lab makes her want to sell her house
and move. "I have two kids," she said.

One neighbour who was evacuated said the home's occupants were not
friendly. "They had nice cars. I saw a lot of nice Volvos and Lexuses
going back and forth."

Another resident said she at first thought there was a fire on the
street.

"This morning we just looked out our window and we thought, what's
going on?

"At first we thought it was a fire because a fire truck was parked
right outside our house."

Samples of the chemicals will be sent off to Health Canada for
analysis and the bulk will be taken away and destroyed, Cullen said.

Tohro James Miyamoto and Allen Kong, both 21, have been charged with
production of a controlled substance, conspiracy to produce a
controlled substance and possession for purposes of trafficking of a
controlled substance.

They appeared yesterday in a Markham courthouse and were remanded in
custody. They are to appear again in court next week.
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