Tree uprooted during storm in Netherlands leads to discovery of massive cocaine lab
By Kassidy Vavra
| New York Daily News |
Jun 06, 2019 | 3:23 PM
A tree uprooted during a storm overnight Wednesday into Thursday has led to the discovery of one of the largest cocaine laboratories in the Netherlands.
Dutch police said in a statement that the tree was uprooted near a farmer’s shed in the village of Oud-Vossenmeer.
Authorities began cleanup of the uprooted tree Thursday morning, when they sensed a strange smell in the area. They found men walking around the shed, which they said was “suspicious.”
Upon investigating the shed, police discovered what they say is one of the country’s largest cocaine labs.
It make take several days to clear the lab, and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
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Police declined to say how much cocaine was discovered, AFP reported. The suspects fled, so no arrests were made.
The lab was discovered because of the strange smell, which police warn occurs when synthetic drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy are produced. This causes a risk of fire, gases, and explosion. “Hazardous waste” is also made during the production of synthetic drugs, which can be let off into open water or nature.
Toxic waste from drug production poses a risk to people, animals, and plants, police said.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-tree-uprooted-netherlands-cocaine-lab-20190606-v776fveipbdmhjd2rndsslente-story.html
The Storm