Record haul of amphetamine seized in Latvia, illegal lab busted

RIGA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A record-haul of amphetamine has been seized from an illegal lab operating in an uninhabited dwelling house near the Latvian capital Riga, police said on Thursday.

Police officers earlier this month seized roughly 45 kilograms of the narcotic from the lab in the central Latvian district of Ropazi, Andrejs Sinavins, the head of the Organized Crime Enforcement Department of the Latvian State Police, told reporters at news conference, adding that this is nearly four times more than the average amount seized by the police per year.

The amphetamine, made to be sold in Nordic countries, is estimated to be around 600,000 euros in black market, according to police.

Of the three suspects detained in connection with the probe, one remains in custody.

The criminals in Latvia had been working with partners in foreign countries whom the Latvian law enforcement authorities are now searching with the help of foreign colleagues, Sinavins said.

The underground lab had been operating for about two months, and the police managed to seize nearly all the drugs it had produced. Enditem