Pubdate: Fri, 29 Apr 2005
Source: Scarborough Mirror, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Scarborough Mirror
Contact:  http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/scarborough/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2198
Author: Andrew Palamarchuk
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

MOUNTIES BUST HUGE ECSTASY OPERATION

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's clandestine lab team seized drugs with 
a street value of more than $40 million Wednesday after executing three 
search warrants in Scarborough.

According to the RCMP, an operational synthetic drug lab with enough 
chemicals and ecstasy powder to produce about 50,000 ecstasy pills was 
discovered in a home on Todd Road northwest of Sheppard Avenue and Brimley 
Road.

At two public storage units located in undisclosed industrial areas in 
Scarborough, police found sufficient chemicals to produce more than four 
million ecstasy pills.

No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation.

Police estimate that the potential street value of the drugs seized is 
between $40 million and $80 million.

The Todd Road house was cordoned off with yellow tape as police officers 
and firefighters in protective gear gathered evidence and dismantled the 
operation.

"It certainly is a significant bust," said RCMP Corp. Howard Adams at the 
scene. "We're used to seeing some of these set up in industrial areas, but 
it's now becoming a little bit more prevalent within residential areas."

Todd Road resident Michael Maughan said he's not "totally surprised" by the 
bust because the people living in the bungalow were very quiet and kept to 
themselves.

"They really haven't built any relationships in the neighbourhood," he said 
adding, "We never had a chance to even meet them."

Doris Wright, who has been living in the area for 20 years, said it is a 
good and quiet neighbourhood.

Corp. Adams said there are dangers associated with ecstasy, which is 
described as the club drug of choice among youth.

"When we look at some of the drug labs that we found, they're not the 
cleanest facilities. They're not under a strict regimen on how they make 
the product," he said. "You never know what the mixture is going to be 
within that product, so definitely it can be a danger to anyone who buys (it)."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom