York police shut down illegal pill production lab in Richmond Hill

A 35-year-old man has been arrested after police uncovered an illegal pill production lab in Richmond Hill last week and seized more than $1 million worth of drugs.

York Regional Police say they were responding to an “unknown trouble call” at a residence in the area of 16th Avenue and Bayview Avenue on Dec. 11 at 9:30 p.m. when they discovered the active lab.

Officers came back the next day with a search warrant and seized 23 kilograms of various powders, 781 litres of liquids, more than 34,000 pills suspected to be oxycodone and various pill-making paraphernalia.

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A number of rounds of 9mm caliber ammunition was also seized, and police estimate the combined total street value of the seized drugs to be over $1 million.

A lone man at the residence, 35-year-old Zoltan Mootoo of Richmond Hill, was arrested and charged with five separate offences, including production of a controlled substance and failure to comply with a probation order.

Police say Mootoo was on probation and bail for unrelated charges at the time of his arrest.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the York Regional Police Guns, Gangs and Drugs Enforcement Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7817.