Investigators say the ecstasy lab busted late Friday in Richmond has turned out to be the biggest Richmond has ever seen -- and possibly the biggest such drug lab in Canada.
For much of Saturday, officials in white hazardous material suits had to be brushed down and hosed off from the hazardous chemicals inside the property on River Road.
"The size and the magnitude of this lab makes us fairly confident that this is linked to organized crime," said Cpl. Nycki Basra of the Richmond RCMP.
Five people have been arrested and police have seized a substantial amount of drugs and weapons.
The tenants had been in the property for about a year and a half, said Lucky Janda, who owns the property that the lab was found in.
The man claimed to be running a cement business, said Janda.
"He comes with his wife, he was here three days ago, he gives me a cheque for $2,500. How can you tell me he's in that kind of business?" he asked.
But Basra said that if developers don't know about a drug ring on their property, that doesn't protect them from the authorities.
"They should be checking their properties. They can be held criminally and financially liable," she said.
Landlords have to give 24 hours written notice before searching a property, and have to give reasons for searching.
Martha Lewis of the Tenants Resource and Advisory Council says criminals go looking for a hands-off landlord.
"I think landlords have some responsibility as to whom they rent their property to," she said.
