Major Ecstasy Bust in Northwest New Brunswick and Quebec

Four people have been arrested after RCMP uncovered two labs used to make the drug known as ecstasy in Québec and in northwestern New Brunswick.

Three men and one woman have been taken into custody following the execution of search warrants in Québec and New Brunswick early Wednesday. The searches were part of a joint investigation with Québec police and the Edmundston Police Force involving the production of the synthetic drug methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), also known as ecstasy.

Five sites in Québec and one site in New Brunswick were targeted as part of the drug operation which resulted in the seizure of documents, equipment and chemicals related to the production of ecstasy, RCMP said.

The search of a residence in Lac Baker, N.B. uncovered a clandestine lab in the early stages of production. RCMP Federal Operations West with the assistance of the  RCMP Clandestine Lab Enforcement and Response team are dismantling the lab. The searches also uncovered a clandestine lab in Québec.

Police said these two labs had the production capacity of 1.5 million pills per week. Fortunately, the labs were shut down before any drugs could be distributed.

Three men, ages 66, 26 and 24 and one woman, aged 55, all from Québec will appear in court to face drug related offences.

“This is one of the largest and most sophisticated labs ever discovered in the province, it appears to have been professionally constructed, meaning these individuals have extensive knowledge in chemistry,” said Staff Sgt. Alain Lang with the RCMP in New Brunswick.

Ecstasy is an illegal synthetic drug that acts as both a stimulant and psychedelic and can have dangerous physical and physiological effects.

The investigation is continuing.