Police raid $20M ecstasy operation

One of the Largest Busts Involving the Drug in Canadian History. Chemicals
Could Have Produced a Million Pills

Ottawa police are trying to determine where potentially millions of ecstasy
pills were headed after one of the largest Canadian busts involving the drug.

Police last night were examining the contents of a two-storey warehouse on
Canotek Road in east Ottawa they allege contained the city's first ecstasy
lab. Police raided the warehouse and a self-storage container across the
street Sunday after a lengthy investigation.

Police, fire department and specialized hazardous material crews spent most
of yesterday at the self-storage container, removing chemicals they say are
enough to produce at least one million ecstasy pills with a street value in
the tens of millions of dollars.

"We found various chemicals and equipment which are consistent with making
ecstasy," said John Hugel, a Health Canada chemist at the scene who has
worked on numerous drug-related cases. "Based on the amount of starting
material that has been purchased, it works out to about $20 million."

Each ecstasy pill typically sells for $20 to $30.

Mr. Hugel said the current investigation is one of the largest ecstasy
busts in the country's history.

Known as Project X, the investigation has been ongoing since late October
when police were tipped by Toronto RCMP that an Ottawa man had purchased a
large quantity of sassafras oil -- a major chemical needed to produce
ecstasy --from a Toronto drug company.

On Sunday, Ottawa police pulled over a vehicle on Highway 416 en route to
the city from Toronto. In the car, police discovered more than 5,000
ecstasy pills worth more than $100,000.

Police have charged Mingh Thoan Ha, 47, of Ottawa in connection with the
case. He faces charges of production of drugs, possession for the purpose
of trafficking drugs and possession of proceeds of crime. Mr. Ha made a
brief court appearance yesterday and was remanded until tomorrow.

Police say Mr. Ha is the owner of the warehouse and self-storage facility.

"We're finding all the ingredients for a fully operational lab that's ready
to produce," said Ottawa police Supt. Richard Lafortune, on the scene at
the self-storage facility. Supt. Lafortune said police are deciding whether
to lay further charges. "The bottom line is you don't need a lot of people
to do this," he said.

Police say they don't think any of the drugs produced by the lab have been
sold on the street, and they have yet to determine if the drug operation is
linked to organized crime.

Mr. Hugel said at least 600 kilograms of sassafras oil was found in the
storage unit, along with large amounts of sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide
and other chemicals required in the production of the drug.

"It's a fairly involved process and takes a few days and some skill," Mr.
Hugel said about producing the pills, a common drug on the bar and club
scene. "That being said, there are detailed instructions available on the
Internet and there are books that can be purchased."

Police planned to wait until last night before investigating the warehouse
thought to contain the lab because they didn't want to close adjacent
businesses during the removal of the lab's contents.

"The danger is actually when you start to dismantle the labs and start to
move the chemicals," Supt. Lafortune said. "Some of these chemicals are
highly flammable and could become toxic if they come into contact with each
other."

Police said the seized chemicals will be pumped into hazardous chemical
trucks and destroyed.