Up to 1 million pills a day: Police hit major meth production ring

The police dealt Thursday a hard blow to a major network of traffickers of methamphetamine and ecstasy present throughout Quebec and even in New Brunswick, with a production capacity rarely seen of 1 million tablets per day.

More than 200 police officers were deployed in the early hours of this morning to the four corners of the province to attack this organization which provided “several branches of organized crime”, indicated Éloïse Cossette, spokesperson for the Regional Mixed Squad. (ERM) of Mauricie, which is leading the investigation.

Searches were conducted at 40 different locations, including residences, business premises, mini-warehouses and vehicles. Loaded firearms, money, narcotics and products used to manufacture them, as well as safes were notably seized (see table below).

“Central place”

But investigators are particularly interested in a property in Sainte-Sophie, in the Laurentians. On the grounds is a former stable which is believed to be the “central location” where methamphetamine production took place.

“The place was operational and serving regularly. It was with hundreds of thousands of tablets per week, specifies Sergeant Cossette, of the Sûreté du Québec. It’s high volume, large scale.”

“Let’s say you needed a million pills, they were probably able to produce that for you in the space of a day,” a police source told QMI Agency.

A couple in the crosshairs of the police

The place, which was confiscated as an offense property (which was used to commit an offence) by the authorities, belongs to a certain Hau Lu, 34 years old. The latter was also stripped in the same way of three of his vehicles, a Maserati Levante 2021, a Tesla Y 2022, BMW 650 2014.

A residence located on 12th Avenue in Saint-Eustache, belonging this time to his spouse, Bunnary Yun, was also confiscated.

The searches led to the discovery of 75,600 tablets of methamphetamine, 4 kg of pure methamphetamine, 1 kg of MDMA to make ecstasy, more than 1,100 tablets of prescription drugs, ketamine, a tablet coloring machine.

Another house belonging to Hau Lu was visited by the police, this time on rue de Baccarat, in Laval.

It should also be noted that the police raided a restaurant on rue Jarry Est, in Montreal, which was not in service. Two handguns were found at the scene, along with $26,000 and safes.

This time, Bunnary Yun’s father is the owner. This is Bun Korn Yun, a well-known businessman in the Cambodian community.

Distribution network

The network dismantled by the police on Thursday had ramifications in several regions of Quebec, and even in New Brunswick.

Once produced in the Sainte-Sophie laboratory, the narcotics were sent to several addresses, which were searched.

“We are talking about a large supply and distribution chain. […] Every place had its use [pour le réseau]explains Éloïse Cossette.

“It’s a hard blow that we come to carry. […] the traffickers were important players and they supplied several branches of organized crime, not just one in particular,” she adds.

The places searched were in Montreal, Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Saguenay, Laval, Saint-Jérôme, Longueuil, Sainte-Sophie, Saint-Eustache, McMasterville, Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Cleveland and Lavaltrie.

As these are “searches under investigation”, no arrests were expected during the day. The main objective of the operation was to seize evidence that should ultimately lead to several arrests.

However, a 33-year-old man was pinned in Lavaltrie, since firearms were found in his home when he was prohibited from possessing them.

–With the collaboration of Marie Christine Trottier, Office of Investigation

What was entered:

· Over 900,000 methamphetamine pills;

· 80 kg of ready-to-tablet methamphetamine;

5.3 kg of pure methamphetamine;

2 kg of cocaine;

1 kg of MDMA;

· 1200 tablets of prescription drugs;

· 212 kg of products (precursors);

· 78 gr of wax, 48 blotters, hashish;

· Over $157,000 in Canadian currency;

· Nine firearms, including 8 handguns;

· Production equipment, including 2 presses, 6 mixers, 178 punches, ovens, grinders;

· 2 residences in offence-related property (Sainte-Sophie and Saint-Eustache);

· 10 vehicles in offence-related property.

Source: ERM Mauricie