MOST OF SASKATCHEWAN'S CRYSTAL METH IS IMPORTED: RCMP

While police have uncovered next to no illegal methamphetamine labs
in the province, that does not mean they are not out there, said an
RCMP spokeswoman.

Heather Russell said that in the last couple of years, since crystal
meth use became widely known as a particularly dangerous and
addictive drug, RCMP have located "very few" meth labs -- likely as
little as two provincewide.

"Most of it's being imported ..." she noted. "It's being imported
from other provinces for the most part, the meth that we have seized
thus far." Last week, members of the Estevan Police Service and RCMP
began investigating what appeared to be a meth lab in that city.
After receiving a call for assistance from a man at an Estevan
residence, police arrived to find a large number of chemicals and
equipment known to be used in the production of methamphetamine.

A specialized RCMP lab unit was called in to help search and
dismantle the lab, an eight-hour process that included help from the
Estevan Fire Department and Estevan EMS.

While this is one of only a handful of known and suspected
Saskatchewan meth labs, Russell said that doesn't mean police have
located every one.

"We certainly know there could be more out there and certainly would
want to hear any information the public may have to assist us in
locating these," she said.

The situation is similar in Regina, where police have to date located
no meth labs.

"It doesn't mean they're not there, but it doesn't mean they are
there either," said Regina Police Service spokeswoman Lara Guzik
Rostad. "It's just that we have not come across any in the city of
Regina." Both Guzik Rostad and Russell said police need information
from the public before they can investigate and follow up on
complaints about suspected meth labs.

Because of the hazardous fumes and the volatility of chemicals
involved in meth production, anyone who enters what they believe to
be a meth lab is advised to not touch anything, to back out of the
location the same way they entered and to call for emergency
assistance. Russell said that rule also applies to most emergency workers.

"Whenever anything suspicious is located, the fire departments,
police services, they've all been trained to call for this
specialized team if there's any feeling that there may be chemicals
or other dangerous products in the home," she said, referring to the
RCMP's specialized lab unit.