Pubdate: Wed, 23 Feb 2005
Source: Didsbury Review, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Didsbury Review
Contact:  http://didsburyreview.awna.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2381
Author: Tamara Collins, with files from Shawne Mohl
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

CYSTAL METH BUST HITS CLOSE TO HOME

Ten kilograms of the drug Methamphetamine, also known as "Crystal Meth" was 
seized from a rural property Wednesday, near Didsbury. Didsbury RCMP 
responded to an unrelated matter when they encountered what is being 
considered the largest clandestine drug labs in Alberta. This quantity, if 
sold on the street would be worth $800,000.

A realtor at work came upon the drug shop and notified RCMP that something 
suspicious was going on, thinking they could be growing marijuana.

Local Mounties, with the assistance of Calgary RCMP members, Red Deer and 
Edmonton Drug Units, and the Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response Team 
from Edmonton are further processing and analysing to confirm the amount 
and the nature of the substance.

"Crystal Meth is an extremely addictive drug. It's something made through 
chemistry. It's not something which takes a great deal of time to produce. 
It's not like a marijuana grow operation where you have to plant the tree 
and wait for it to mature and grow. That is not the case at all. It's 
something that is mixed through various chemicals and the byproducts are 
toxic. The production of it is very dangerous in the sense of the fumes 
that one is using. There are things in there like rubbing alcohol, sodium 
hydroxide, ether, ammonia, paint thinner and other lethal products," said 
RCMP Cst. Al Fraser from Edmonton.

RCMP are investigating a possible chemical spill near the intersection of 
RR 3.5 and the Carstairs Blind Line Road, 4 kms down from the lab. Due to 
the proximity of the spill and the lab, they suspect this may be a dumping 
site for the lab.

Two men from Calgary, John Brown, age 32, and Jody McGuey, age 29, have 
been charged with unlawfully producing a controlled substance, 
Methamphetamine, contrary to Section 7(1) of the Controlled Drugs and 
Substances Act, and unlawfully possessing a substance, for the purpose of 
trafficking.

Clandestine labs are considered extremly hazardous due to the variety of 
chemical compounds often used during the manufacturing process. In some 
cases exposure to these substances can be lethal. Police are being assisted 
in their response by the RCMP CLEAR Team and officals from Health Canada. 
The cleanup is estimated to take several days.

"This happened in small town Alberta where one wouldn't think for this to 
happen. When you look at that area it's seen as beautiful," said Fraser. 
"Who would think that there would be a Crystal Meth lab there?"

-With files from Shawne Mohl