POLICE USED SPECIAL TRAINING TO FIND BASEMENT DRUG LAB

OVER the last three years, a handful of Winnipeg cops have been trained in
how to spot and dismantle clandestine home-based drug labs.

That training was put to the test last weekend when city police raided a
north-end home and discovered a home-based drug lab that had pumped out
methamphetamines, Ecstasy and marijuana.

And that training is expected to be used more often in the future as more
basement chemists set up shop in the city to cook and sell potent street drugs.

"Learning how to deal with this kind of thing is great," said Const. Bob
Johnson of the Winnipeg Police Service. "Having to isn't."

Insp. Gary Walker of the vice division said yesterday a number of vice
officers have spent time in Ottawa at the Canadian Police College over the
last few years to receive specialized training in how to identify and close
down clandestine drug labs.

"We've been gearing up for something like this for the last couple of
years," he said. "We've been paying attention to trends in North America
and some of the northern states have had clandestine lab problems so it's
been a topical item around here. We knew it was coming."

Drugs like Ecstasy are made by combining a number of different chemicals.
The recipes are intricate and potentially volatile, creating dangerous
fumes and fire hazards.

But Walker said it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure them out.

"Most of this stuff can be found on the Internet," he said. "The
ingredients are reasonably easy to attain. Some of them are household
chemicals that can be bought off the shelf."

Walker said the process of combining the chemicals can be tricky and
sometimes even just turning on a light switch in the lab at the wrong time
could cause an explosion.

Winnipeg cops who raided the drug lab on Boyd Avenue on Saturday had to
wear respirators and oxygen tanks to protect themselves from the harsh fumes.

This weekend's raid netted enough chemicals to make between six and seven
kilograms of Ecstasy valued by some at more than $1 million.

And while the raid was the first of its kind in the city, Walker suspects
it won't be the last.

"It confirmed for us that it's here and a problem in a big way," he said.
"Unfortunately there's probably others."

Police have identified suspects but so far no one has been arrested as a
result of the raid.