Police, DEA shut down lab making marijuana concentrate
Police and federal agents seized more than 60 pounds of marijuana and more than 30 pounds of butane honey oil during the bust of a clandestine lab on a Haiku property on Friday. Photos courtesy of MPD
The interior of a clandestine laboratory (left) producing a marijuana concentrate is shown.
Because of the volatility of butane honey oil, police said its Special Response Team was used to execute the warrants Friday.
Police and federal agents seized more than 60 pounds of marijuana and more than 30 pounds of butane honey oil during the bust of a clandestine lab on a Haiku property on Friday. Photos courtesy of MPD
The interior of a clandestine laboratory (left) producing a marijuana concentrate is shown.
Because of the volatility of butane honey oil, police said its Special Response Team was used to execute the warrants Friday.
Trending
The Maui News
A clandestine laboratory producing a marijuana concentrate was dismantled last week after police and federal agents searched a Haiku residence, arresting a 39-year-old man and seizing more than 60 pounds of marijuana and more than 30 pounds of butane honey oil marijuana concentrate, police reported.
Police vice officers executed search warrants for the man, his cellular phone and his residence at 51 S. Honokala Road at 6 a.m. Friday.
Investigation revealed that the suspect had an active butane honey oil lab that was operating on the property, police said. An initial search of the property Friday confirmed the presence of the lab, police said.
Police said the lab was constructed of two plastic sheds that were placed back to back and separated into two areas of production. From the lab, police reported seizing components critical to the production of butane honey oil, as well as 30.53 pounds of processed marijuana and 11.17 pounds of butane honey oil.
A search of the residence resulted in the recovery of 30.88 pounds of processed marijuana, 20.31 pounds of butane honey oil, $569 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, police said.
Police also reported recovering three rifles.
While police have investigated other butane honey oil labs, "this is the first one of this this scale," said police Vice Sgt. Keoki Santos. "This is the biggest one we have come across," he said.
Because of the volatility of butane honey oil, police said its Special Response Team was used to execute the warrants Friday. The man, his girlfriend and their 13-year-old daughter were located and detained during the search, police said.
The man was arrested on suspicion of two counts of first-degree promotion of a harmful drug, first-degree commercial promotion of marijuana and first-degree reckless endangering. He was released pending further investigation.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Clandestine Laboratory Los Angeles Division team sent three operators and a chemist to Maui to assist with the operation. They, along with the Maui Police Department Clandestine Lab unit and the Maui Fire Department's Hazmat team "played a significant role in the dismantling of the lab and rendering the scene safe," police said in a news release.
Police said such labs "are very dangerous because butane gas is very combustible."
Anyone who suspects a clandestine laboratory is asked to call police to report the activity.
The search warrants were drafted by DEA Special Agent Aaron Wise and executed by MPD officer Aasin Torricer.