Calgary police, border agents seize chemicals capable of producing $5M worth of MDMA

The interception of packages being imported from China into Canada, and the subsequent search of a northeast Calgary home, has resulted in a massive MDMA precursor seizure.

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) officials confirm the investigation began Jan. 21 when Canada Border Services Agency workers detected two packages of chemicals, precursor for producing MDMA or ecstasy, destined for a Calgary address. The seized precursor weighed more than 53 kilograms.

Two weeks later, a search warrant was executed at the destination home in the northeast neighbourhood of Whitehorn where an additional 68 kilograms of MDMA precursor as well as falsified importation documents were seized.

ALERT says the 121 kilograms of precursor was capable of producing $5 million worth of illicit drugs.

As a result of the investigation, 33-year-old Yoesph Tamerat Metyeke was charged with importation of a controlled substance and production of a controlled substance.

Police say additional charges against Metyeke are anticipated, pending the results of analysis of drugs seized from the home.

According to Insp. Shawn Wallace of ALERT Calgary, drug production is the chemical's only known use and this seizure will prevent "tens of thousands of doses, worth millions of dollars, from flooding the province."