Accidental Find Leads Cops To One Of The Biggest Drug Busts In Toronto History Monday March 12, 2007
It is, by any measurement, a staggering find.
Toronto Police have confirmed they've helped make one of the biggest Ecstasy busts in the city's history.
And it happened almost totally by accident.
The story began last Friday around 6pm, when observant undercover York Regional Police officers were in the McCowan and Steeles area on an unrelated matter.
They spotted three men allegedly trying to break into a house at 60 Penmarric Place.
When they hauled the trio into custody they noticed something about the home they were apparently trying to enter.
They called their Toronto Police counterparts, who secured the address until they could get a warrant.
What they found inside stunned everyone involved - at least 140,000 Ecstasy pills worth an estimated $21.4 million on the streets.
As if that wasn't enough, detectives also discovered what's called a cutting agent, which allows the drug makers to turn out even more pills using a kind of filler.
If that had been added, the entire haul could have been worth an unbelievable $40 million.
But that wasn't the only find that disturbed them.
Two children - an eight-year-old girl and five-year-old boy - were both living inside the house. They've been turned over to the Children's Aid Society and checked out in hospital as a precaution.
Neighbours were also looked at to ensure they hadn't been contaminated with anything.
Four Toronto men are facing a variety of charges, including producing a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking.
All four made their first court appearance at Old City Hall on Monday.
Crime Specialist Dwight Drummond will have much more on this story on CityNews at Six.
