Pubdate: Thu, 03 Feb 2005
Source: Collegiate Times (VA Tech,  Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Collegiate Times
Contact:  http://www.collegiatetimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/699
Author: Ellen Biltz, Associate News Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

ECSTACY LAB UNCOVERED IN BLACKSBURG

Police say the lab, found in house on Clay Street is the largest in
Virginia.

Police discovered the first ecstasy lab in Blacksburg Tuesday
  Blacksburg Police, members of the Drug Enforcement Agency,
the New River Drug Task Force and the Virginia State Police were all
present in uncovering the ecstasy equipment, also known as an MDMA
lab.

"The (lab) we got yesterday was the largest one we've ever seen in the
state of Virginia," said Laura DiCesare, public information officer
for the Washington division of the DEA.

While the exact amount of drugs seized has not yet been released by
the police, a police news release said, "Equipment, chemicals and
precursors consistent with the manufacturing of ecstasy were
discovered."

Lt. Don Goodman of the Virginia Tech Police Department said at this
point the police cannot say whether any other types of drugs or
paraphernalia were uncovered.

No arrests or charges in connection with the lab equipment or owners
of the house had been made at press time. Information about the
residents has not been released due to the ongoing
nature of the investigation, Goodman said.

The investigation and removal of MDMA lab equipment lasted the
majority of Tuesday afternoon, beginning at 2:30 p.m. and ending after
dark, Goodman said.

"We wouldn't leave anything at the residence," he said.

DiCesare said the lab equipment found did not include a pill-press to
make the ecstasy pills. Instead, the manufacturers were emptying
capsules of other medicines and filling them with MDMA.

Although a pill-press was not found, DiCesare said they did have very
high-grade equipment.

"They had very sophisticated, professional-grade glassware," she said.
"We are not going to (speculate) about where they got it from, but it
was very sophisticated."

Goodman said MDMA and methamphetamine are similar in chemical makeup
but different in composition.

"These labs are dangerous simply because of the chemicals that are
used to make the drugs," he said.

While both drugs are synthetically made, DiCesare said the main
difference between the two is that ecstasy is more of a hallucinogen
that is popular with the partying or club scene, while meth is a more
addictive drug, like cocaine or heroin.

"MDMA has two other components that meth doesn't," she said.

Goodman also said that while there have previously been
methamphetamine labs in Montgomery County, the Town of Blacksburg has
never encountered one.

According to the DEA website, there are a limited number of ecstasy
labs in the United States. In 2001, only 17 were found.

DiCesare said in the last three to four years, since domestic
production of MDMA has become popular, there have been a total of four
in the state of Virginia.
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