A public tip led the Vegreville RCMP to a stolen vehicle, the arrest of an Edmonton man, and the discovery of a lab used for the illicit production of a common date rape drug.
On April 17, Vegreville RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious pickup truck in Minburn County, Alberta. Officers determined the vehicle had been reported stolen and arrested the lone occupant.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a 700-millilitre bottle of GHB — equal to approximately 70 doses — prompting further investigation.
GHB — a colourless, odourless depressant — can induce euphoria and hallucinations, but can also cause dangerous side effects including dizziness, nausea, blackouts, coma and, in some cases, death.
The drug is commonly used to intoxicate victims of date rape.
That search led officers to a residence within Vegreville’s town limits, where police discovered a makeshift laboratory producing the illicit drug in the home’s basement.
With a warrant in hand, RCMP searched the property alongside members of the force’s Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response team. Vegreville Fire Services and EMS were on standby during the operation due to the risk of fire or chemical contamination.
Officers seized 12 litres of GHB and 38 litres of suspected 1,4-Butanediol, a precursor used in the drug’s production.
RCMP say the lab has been dismantled, and arrest warrants have been issued for two individuals linked to the property.
Jeremy Donald Blackwell, 42, of Edmonton, faces multiple charges, including two counts of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, possession of GHB, and obstruction of a peace officer.
Blackwell has been remanded into custody following a hearing before a justice of the peace. He is scheduled to appear in court in Vegreville on May 12.