MAJOR ECSTASY LAB RAIDED THURSDAY.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer PALMDALE - A sophisticated laboratory for manufacturing the drug Ecstasy in a garage in a quiet neighborhood may be the largest ever found in California, officials said. The two-car garage's door had been sealed closed and the interior converted into a laboratory, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. investigators, who said they found two pounds of the drug - worth $150,000 on the street - and about 10 pounds of unfinished product during the Thursday raid. ``I don't think anyone has ever seen anything this size,'' said Lt. Bruce Harris Bruce Harris (born 1955 in Scotland, United Kingdom) is the disgraced former executive director of Casa Alianza, from 1989 to September 2004. He was dismissed from this post after admitting he had paid a young adult male, who had earlier been in the care of Casa Alianza, for sex. , a member of the 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 Force. ``We can't say yet how long this has been going on, but it's obvious that it's been going on for a while.'' The resident of the home in the 38200 block of 6th Street West was arrested, but officials did not release his name. Investigators had been watching the home and its resident for months and finally obtained enough information to obtain search and arrest warrants. The laboratory equipment itself could have cost $200,000 to $300,000, investigators said. While crude laboratories for manufacturing methamphetamine methamphetamine (mĕth'ămfĕt`əmēn): see amphetamine; methedrine. are relatively easy to set up and operate, manufacturing Ecstasy requires a knowledge of chemistry, investigators said. ``This wasn't like those ugly meth meth n. Methamphetamine hydrochloride. labs with dirty trash cans In the Macintosh, a simulated garbage can used for deleting files and folders. The trash can keeps the files intact in case the user wants to restore them, but can be "emptied" from time to time to save disk space. and Coleman stoves,'' Harris said. ``This was very sophisticated. ``Someone would have to have an extensive knowledge of chemicals and what to mix and how. One of us trying to produce this stuff from a recipe would blow ourselves up.'' Thursday's raid surprised neighbors on the short cul-de-sac. ``I've never even seen the guy that lives there, and I never heard anything from over there either,'' said Julie Moore, who has lived in the neighborhood for the past 18 months. ``I really didn't expect this when I saw the deputies pull up. It's scary being so close.'' Some surrounding homes were evacuated e·vac·u·ate v. e·vac·u·at·ed, e·vac·u·at·ing, e·vac·u·ates v.tr. 1. a. To empty or remove the contents of. b. To create a vacuum in. 2. while crews pulled the chemicals out of the garage. Some residents were allowed to return as early as 5 p.m., officials said. Crews worked until after midnight hauling away the chemicals and lab components. Investigators said that, even though the lab had been disassembled and destroyed, the investigation was still ongoing. They said they hoped to determine where the pills were being sold and who was involved. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: An investigator checks the equipment seized in the raid of an Ecstasy lab on 6th Street West. Paul Weatherman/Special to the Daily News |
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