VIC:Sophisticated drug lab in Melbourne suburb

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2011
VIC:Sophisticated drug lab in Melbourne suburb

MELBOURNE, Aug 30 AAP - A sophisticated drug lab found in suburban Melbourne was at
risk of exploding, police say.

Four men have been arrested as part of Operation Matador, a 10-month investigation
into the manufacture and trafficking of ecstasy.

Drug Taskforce Detective Acting Inspector Dale Flynn said a sophisticated clandestine
laboratory found in Maribyrnong was in an extremely volatile state.

"We consider the lab uncovered in Bloomfield Avenue to be extremely dangerous to the
public," Acting Inspector Flynn said in a statement.

"We are concerned about the chemicals involved which could potentially be explosive
with some considered carcinogenic.

"To be able to successfully dismantle a laboratory of this nature following a 10-month
long investigation is very pleasing; the potential for something to have gone wrong was
very real."

Police searched five homes and one business property in Maribyrnong, Ascot Vale, Narre
Warren, Maidstone and Altona on Tuesday morning.

The four arrested men - a 22-year-old from Maribyrnong, a 26-year-old from Maidstone,
a 20-year-old from Altona and 20-year-old from Narre Warren - were assisting police with
their inquiries, the statement said.

AAP mn/dep

KEYWORD: LAB

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