Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jun 2008
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Gerry Bellett
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

SUSPECTED DRUG MAKER 'PAID ULTIMATE PRICE'

Police Raise Concerns Over Innocent People Breathing Deadly Fumes

Police have long warned of the dangers from the witches' brew of 
chemicals used to create illegal drugs -- ecstasy or crystal meth -- 
and the death of a Vancouver man inside his clandestine Kitsilano 
laboratory last weekend has brought the message home.

"He paid the ultimate price and it is a tragedy for him and for his 
family, as it was his brother that discovered him," said Vancouver 
Police Const. Tim Fanning.

"But it shows how very dangerous these labs are and why we are so 
concerned about innocent people being hurt, too."

The victim is Paul Haden, 44, who had lived in the 23-unit apartment 
building at 2525 Balsam Street for about eight years. His exact cause 
of death has not been determined yet.

About 40 residents were forced out of their homes until Monday 
afternoon while Health Canada inspectors carried out further tests, 
said Patti Bacchus, a representative with Balfour Properties which 
manages the building. "The actual unit that had the incident is still 
sealed off. They have to do cleanup," she said, adding that she has 
been assured residents are not at risk.

RCMP Cpl. Richard DeJong, an expert on illicit drug manufacturing, 
said police worry it is a matter of time before an innocent person 
dies as the result of a clandestine laboratory.

"These are very dangerous and volatile chemicals being mixed and 
people are cooking them up in buildings and rooms close to where 
other persons are living," said DeJong. "The people doing it are 
amateurs. They are getting the recipes from the Internet or from 
friends so there's no quality control; it's not like the stuff is 
being produced by a pharmacist. The fumes from these cooks can be 
fatal if inhaled and so far, people living nearby have only been 
forced out of their homes. We hate to say it, but it's likely just a 
matter of time before some innocent person is hurt," DeJong said.

An autopsy has yet to reveal the cause of Haden's death and police 
won't speculate, but Fanning said if death was a result of inhalation 
of toxic fumes during an illegal drug cook, it would be the first of 
its kind in Vancouver.

Vancouver Police have been finding an average of four clandestine 
labs a year for the past five years. How dangerous these labs are can 
be judged by the way the police and health authorities go about 
dismantling them, and the inevitable and immediate evacuation of 
housing near a lab.

During manufacturing the ingredients are "cooked" in glassware -- 
condensers and flasks -- on a stove or another heat source, giving 
off deadly fumes that have to be vented from the room or enclosure.

"The guys who have to go inside to dismantle one of these labs wear 
what look like space suits. They don't want to be in contact with any 
of the stuff inside or breathe the air. And, of course, we remove 
anyone living close until the area is deemed safe," Fanning said. "In 
this case it appears the victim was making ecstasy and doing it in an 
apartment surrounded by dozens of people. This is really brazen and 
we're just relieved no one else was hurt," he said.

The police were called to apartment 306 at 6 p.m. Saturday by Haden's 
brother, who came to visit him. The man appeared to have died 
sometime in the previous 24 hours, said Fanning. Fanning described 
the lab as "a continuous operation," meaning the occupant of suite 
306 was producing commercial quantities of ecstacy. "It was not an 
operation for personal use. He was making it for traffickers," said Fanning.

Haden had no criminal record and was unknown to police.

Less than two months ago, police were called to an apartment at 850 
Burrard after firefighters called to put out a fire found an illicit 
drug laboratory. It was the second time the complex had been used by 
someone to manufacture drugs.

Fanning said anyone who suspects an illegal drug laboratory is being 
operated should phone 911. "We ask people to trust their senses. Does 
something smell funny like cat urine, are people coming and going at 
odd times, are there peculiar noises, windows covered or other things 
that don't seem right?" said Fanning.

DeJong said another indicator of illegal drug manufacturing was the 
type of garbage it creates. "How many cans of Drano does an ordinary 
person need? How much bleach, campstove fuel, acetone, cold 
medication? These are all chemical precursors for manufacturing 
crystal meth or ecstasy and it is considered abnormal if anyone is 
using large quantities of them," he said.
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