FIVE IN CUSTODY IN METH 'SUPER LAB' DISCOVERY.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer ACTON - Sheriff's officials said the bust of a ``super lab'' with enough chemicals to produce nearly $3 million worth of methamphetamine could have a major impact on Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley drug sales. Raided Thursday by officers from two methamphetamine lab task forces, the lab was discovered in a house on Angeles Forest Highway The Angeles Forest Highway traverses the Angeles National Forest and connects the Los Angeles basin to the Antelope Valley by going up and over the San Gabriel Mountains. The highway is variously known as County Road N-3 or FH-59 or the Palmdale cutoff. It is about 25 miles long. , just outside the Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) was established by executive order on December 20, 1892 as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve. It covers over 2,600 km² (650,000 acres) and is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, just north of the metropolitan area of Los boundary. ``This will be a substantial hit,'' Deputy Dave Miklos of the Palmdale Sheriff's Station said Friday. ``They call it a super lab which could process a large amount of finished product.'' Five men, all described as Mexican citizens, were arrested, but their names were not released. Sheriff's officials said the five are being investigated for other undisclosed crimes. They were taken to the Lancaster sheriff's station, where they are being held on suspicion of manufacturing a controlled substance controlled substance n. a drug which has been declared by federal or state law to be illegal for sale or use, but may be dispensed under a physician's prescription. and held in lieu of $500,000 bail each. Officials raided the home after nearly two months of investigation. Although officials Friday refused to disclose what prompted the investigation, they said the case is not related to summer's major methamphetamine investigation called Operation Silent Thunder. At the home, authorities said they found four 22-liter flasks filled with methamphetamine ``base'' weighing more than 15 pounds. Investigators said the chemicals could be used to produce 60 pounds of finished methamphetamine, which would be worth nearly $3 million on the street. There were apparently no other drugs or weapons in the home, officials said. The raid was based on an investigation by the North and South County Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Interagency in·ter·a·gen·cy adj. Involving or representing two or more agencies, especially government agencies. Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Forces, narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. investigators from the Palmdale and Lancaster sheriff's stations and additional deputies. Los Angeles County hazardous materials spent most of Thursday night cleaning up the remnants of the lab. ``This is an ongoing investigation which could lead to information on other labs and future arrests,'' Miklos said. |
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