On March 10, 2020, property maintenance personnel for an apartment building in the area of 96 Street and 129B Avenue entered a suite to update the appliances. Upon entering the suite, which was devoid of any belongings or furniture, the maintenance worker observed white powder covering several of the kitchen surfaces, and a bag containing several plastic-wrapped bundles of white powder.
Bag found in suite
Cocaine found in suite
Acetone found in suite
Police obtained a search warrant for the property and later recovered 6.5 kg of cocaine with a street value of approximately $650,000, as well as some equipment associated with making crack cocaine. The investigation is still ongoing, and charges have not been laid.
“This significant drug find at a property that was not previously known to police just goes to show that a clandestine lab can exist anywhere,” says Const. Justin Marleau with EPS Northeast Division. “These labs can be very dangerous due to their potential to attract crime, emit toxic fumes and cause fires and explosions, and we ask all citizens, especially landlords and property managers, to keep their eyes open for signs that a lab might be operating in your building or area.”
Signs of a clandestine drug lab can include:
- Odd chemical odours
- The presence of unusual amounts of solvents (such as camping fuel), acetone, or oxidizers (such as highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide)
- Batteries that have been opened up
- Red or purple stains on surfaces
Landlords and property managers should also be diligent about doing background checks on new tenants, and be wary of suspicious behavior, such as a renter wanting to pay rent in cash for many months in advance, or a payee who is different than the renter.