METH INGREDIENT SHIPMENT SEIZED ON WAY TO CITY

Authorities have seized more than 500 kilograms of a legal substance
used by criminals to make illegal crystal meth.

Police estimate the ephedrine intercepted at the Vancouver port en
route to Calgary could have yielded 350 kilograms of crystal meth
worth $1.1 million if sold on the street.

"Definitely, this was an organized crime operation. It's well beyond
'mom and pop,' " RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb said.

Two Calgary residents and a Vancouver man are facing charges in
connection with the shipment, which police allege was likely destined
for meth labs in different parts of Canada and the U.S. "The size (of
the shipment) is indicative that it's not going to just one group,"
said Webb.

Although ephedrine has a legal use as the main ingredient in
over-the-counter decongestants, it is also the key ingredient in
crystal meth.

Criminals working in clandestine labs use a volatile mix of solvents
and industrial products to chemically alter the ephedrine and convert
it to meth.

Alberta is among several provinces that have laws restricting access
to over-the-counter decongestants to prevent small-scale meth cooks
from acquiring enough ephedrine to make meth. The action has kept the
number of home-based labs from skyrocketing -- as has happened in
several U.S. states -- but law enforcement agencies are still
grappling with bulk amounts of ephedrine entering Canada.

To prevent criminals from diverting legally bought ephedrine into meth
production, the federal government passed laws making it illegal to
import ephedrine without a licence.

Canada Border Services Agency officers working at the Vancouver port
found the ephedrine hidden in bags of rice while searching a shipping
container on Oct. 2. The shipment originated in India.

"They thought (a bag of rice) looked a little unusual, so they put it
through the X-ray machine," agency spokeswoman Paula Shore said.