Authorities called to investigate illegal dumping in Palmdale this week instead stumbled on a clandestine drug lab and 800 pounds of methamphetamine stashed in storage containers, officials said Friday.
Code enforcement officers in the High Desert suburb located 36 miles north of LA made the shocking find on Thursday when they visited a vacant lot after receiving reports of illegal dumping there, according to a Palmdale news release.
The stunned code enforcement officers immediately alerted police, who descended on grimy white storage containers packed with massive crystal-like chunks of pure gak spread across a blue tarp.
Other massive chucks of bathtub speed were found drying on mesh racks, while kitchen storage bags loaded with crunchy, white powder were also found packed for sale.
Palmdale Mayor Eric Ohlsen said the discovery was one of the most significant drug busts ever made in the Antelope Valley city of approximately 162,500 residents.
“This case is a powerful example of the important work our code enforcement team does every day to protect Palmdale neighborhoods,” said Ohlsen in a statement.
“What started as an illegal dumping investigation led to the removal of a massive amount of dangerous drugs from our community,” he added.
In addition to hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, like a scene out of “Breaking Bad,” cops also found materials used in multiple stages of the drug’s manufacturing, officials said.
Investigators uncovered at least a half-dozen plastic storage tubs fitted with metal grates that appeared to be used as drying racks for freshly cooked meth. They also seized at least eight propane tanks — the type commonly used to hold anhydrous ammonia, a key ingredient in meth production.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the discovery.
Addictive and deadly, crystal meth is a scourge in Los Angeles, particularly downtown and in the areas of MacArthur Park and Skid Row, where the drug competes with fentanyl for the favor of throngs of hopeless zombies there.
The business of selling the drug has propelled the fortunes of murderous gangs, including the infamous 18th Street Gang, which for years has controlled methamphetamine and fentanyl sales on one side of MacArthur Park and in swatches of Skid Row.
Palmdale Mayor Ohlsen said the city’s efforts to target quality-of-life issues such as illegal dumping have yielded big results, such as the discovery of the illegal drug lab and meth stockpile.
“I knew that giving our teams the right tools and focus would make a real difference in protecting our residents’ quality of life, and this case proves it,” he said.
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