A multi-suite building on Mayfair Avenue was also housing a secret meth lab, say Winnipeg police.
Police said a contractor working on site found something suspicious in one of the suites and tipped them off.
Once the presence of a lab was confirmed, the police Clandestine Lab Team went to work on securing and safely ventilating the suite.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service units and a Hazmat team also took part in securing the suite, and two transit buses were used to temporarily house other residents of the building.
The resident came home while police were on scene and was arrested.
The lab, which police said was fully functioning, was safely dismantled. Cops seized lab equipment, a pressure cooker, a chemical suit with gloves, and a breathing apparatus.
All toxic substances were safely removed and samples were sent to Health Canada for testing.
Cst. Rob Carver said this is the first lab they’ve found in Winnipeg since December of 2017.
“(The 2017 lab) was far less sophisticated that this one, and not fully functional,” said Carver.
“When we went into this lab, the stove was on, elements had to be turned off, the lab was in the process of a cook.”
Carver said a lab like this is a threat not only because it’s creating meth that will end up on the street, but also because of the huge danger to other residents.
“The toxic chemicals that are used in these labs can produce gases that would kill someone walking into the room very quickly,” he said.
“They’re incredibly dangerous, and there’s explosive concerns as well.”
Conal Patrick Moran, 29, faces charges of production of a scheduled substance, possession of meth for the purpose of trafficking, and two counts of mischief under $5,000.
WATCH: Winnipeg cops make million-dollar meth seizure
Comments