B.C. men charged after police uncover drug 'super lab' in Metro Vancouver

Mounties in British Columbia say five men have been charged after federal investigators uncovered a drug-producing "super lab" in Metro Vancouver.

The investigation began in the spring of 2022, when police identified several people and properties believed to be involved in producing and selling the street drug MDMA.

Later that summer, investigators executed four search warrants on properties in Maple Ridge and Coquitlam, arresting five people and discovering one of the properties housed a "large, sophisticated economic-based synthetic drug lab that was capable of producing multi-kilograms of MDMA per cycle," police said in a news release Wednesday.

During the searches, officers seized 49 kilograms of MDMA and chemical precursors to produce another 80 kilograms, according to the release. Police say the combined haul was enough to create 2.5 million doses of the potentially deadly drug.

A Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV, a Tesla 3, and more than $51,000 in cash were also confiscated.

Authorities identified the suspects as Dennis Halstead, Shawn Cappis, Balbinder Johal, Richard Waugh, and Christopher Alves. All five men were scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

"Access and availability to illicit synthetic drugs is a primary factor in many deaths," the RCMP release said.

"These drugs come from unsanctioned, uncontrolled, and profit-driven facilities. MDMA can pose major health risks to its users, possibly leading to overdose and death."