PEE SMELL COULD SPELL TROUBLE

If you smell urine in your home, and there's no good reason you
should be smelling it, you might want to think about your safety
because of what your neighbours are up to.

A urine smell is one of the odours caused by "cooking off" chemicals
when making crystal meth, said Vancouver Police Department Const. Tim Fanning.

Captain Rob Jones-Cook of Fire and Rescue Services said the odour can
be medicinal, fishy, chemical or noxious.

Knowing what you may be smelling could save your home and your life.
Last week, a resident in an apartment building at 1650 East Fifth
Ave. smelled chemicals in the building. The police were called and a
possible crystal methamphetamine lab was discovered on the third
floor of the four-storey building.

Fanning said anyone who notices "strange comings and goings at all
hours" combined with strange smells or chemical containers should
call emergency services.

"People are very perceptive," said Jones-Cook. "Trust your instincts.
If it doesn't look right we can come and have a look at it,
investigate it and then we'll deal with it. Phone 911 if you think
you've got some sort of illegal activity going on in your
neighbourhood, particularly if it could be a clandestine lab. You
really don't want to hesitate to call us because they are very dangerous."

He cautioned against touching or handling anything in a potential
meth lab. "Do not investigate on your own. Do not smell any of the
laboratory apparatus or any of the chemicals. Do not turn off lights
or equipment or if they're off, leave them alone. Do immediately
evacuate the area and call 911."

Turning power on or off can cause a spark that could cause an
explosion, he said.

The raw ingredients for crystal methamphetamine include highly
combustible chemicals like acetone, Varsol and paint thinners.

"That stuff's very noxious, it can be toxic, you don't want to do
anything with electrical appliances because under the proper
circumstances it can be extremely explosive and it's not unheard of
that after one of these places has been found, the house needs to be
demolished," said Jones-Cook.

Other clues to a meth lab include excess water hoses, electrical
cords, and tubing and hoses connecting containers. Less obvious signs
include hot plates, portable gas stoves and coffee filters.

Jones-Cook said labs can be found in cars, cube vans, hotels and
storage facilities.

The lab discovered May 9 was the seventh that's been busted in the
city since 2004 and the second this year. Police arrested a
22-year-old Vancouver man as part of the bust. Michael De Jong was
also wanted in connection with a South Vancouver lab discovered
earlier in the year. Fanning said De Jong had an outstanding warrant
for his arrest. He has been charged with two counts of possession of
controlled substances and a bail hearing was set for May 17.

He was also to appear on 16 previous charges from Richmond in 2004
including possessing counterfeit money, carrying a concealed weapon
and criminal harassment.