and two fully automated presses capable of producing 8,000 to 12,000 pills an hour. Three days later, a home in the 8400-block of Odlin Crescent was raided in connection with the River Road lab. It housed a marijuana grow-op.
Richard Susik, 28, Miranda Susik, 29, Robert Rahn, 34, Syvete Rahn, 33, and John Rahberger, 44, are charged with drug offences.
They were not known to police but they are linked to organized crime, the RCMP allege.
"These people are trusted members within their criminal organizations," said Cantera.
He would not say which crime group they are linked to.
The one million tablets were to be exported, but Cantera wouldn't say where they were going because the investigation is continuing abroad.
Canada already has an international reputation for being a "major source" of cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy and B.C. is at the helm, said Cantera.
He said there's no indication the super lab is linked to the bust of a major drug syndicate in Australia earlier this month. Five current or former B.C. residents were arrested after $80 million worth of drugs were smuggled from Vancouver.
RCMP Corp. Scott Rintoul said major drug syndicates run their operations out of Canada because light criminal penalties make it a "safe haven."
"They choose Canada for a reason," said Rintoul. "Importing heroin, importing cocaine will get you a lifetime penalty. Importing ecstasy only gets 10 years."
Rintoul said the only way to stop clandestine drug labs is to toughen up on the organized-crime groups running them.
"We need to get tougher on organized groups and send them to jail and seize their assets.
"We're not talking small, addiction-based labs. These are all economic, which are organized-crime controlled. And it's all about greed, it's all about money."
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