Investigators hope to finish with Hamilton drug ‘factory’ today

(Updated)

It’s day three — and police are still dismantling a major drug lab in a home on Cannon Street East in Hamilton.  And now we’re learning more about what exactly was inside this drug factory.

Police are expected to be done later tonight.  And Cannon Street, which has been down to one lane for three days now, will opened up.

All of the stuff they are pulling out has been sent to Health Canada to be analyzed.

Police say this was a huge operation.  This sort of lab has potential to produce millions of dollars worth of drugs.

Police are still hauling chemicals and equipment out of this factory-sized drug lab.

Dozens of containers of chemicals.  And these industrial sized pots say a lot about the size and scope of this operation.

RCMP Sgt. Brent Hill:  “This is a very large scale lab.”

All three levels, from the basement to the attic, full of chemicals and lab equipment.

Including this garage which, according to records, was torn down and rebuilt in June.

The lab was raided Monday and it’s taken police 3 days to clear everything out.

Hill:  “We’ve filled up this area once we’ve already had a waste hauling move all our chemicals once very large quantities. 35 like hundreds of pounds? I think if you add it all up, we’d be in the tonnage.”

Investigators are getting a better idea of what exactly was inside the home and say it looks like meth and ecstasy were being produced.

Hill:  “A wide assortment of chemicals.   There’s strong acids, very strong base, and a lot of solvents.”

They say it’s concerning that this lab, and all of these materials, was in the middle of a residential neighbourhood.

Hill:  “We get families walking up and down the street kids in their hand.  You see our officers in chemical resistant suits and self contained breathing apparatus we have respiratory protection we have this for good reason.”

We looked into the property and it was sold in April to a numbered company.  That’s not uncommon in this area because a lot of homes have turned into rental properties.

So it looks like this drug lab was only operating for a few months.

One man has been arrested.  According to neighbours, he was renting the home.

We asked the RCMP what happens to this home now?   They said it’s up to the city to decide.  So we asked the city and were told it’s only involved when it comes to marijuana grow ops because what’s left behind in that case an effect the air quality.