Drug lab allegedly found in basement of Minnesota man’s home

(ABC 6 News) – A Nerstrand, Minn. man was arrested and charged with multiple drug and gun crimes after investigators allegedly found a drug lab in his basement.

Victor Wang, 46, was charged in Rice County court on Thursday with multiple controlled substance related felonies and a felony for possessing firearms after prior convictions.

Agents with the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force (CRDVOTF) had been conducting a narcotics investigation over the past several months regarding large amounts of methamphetamine being sold in the area allegedly by Wang.

Agents obtained a controlled substance search warrant for Wang’s residence and on Mar. 21, agents executed the search warrant after observing Wang leaving the residence. Wang was searched and approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine was allegedly found in his pocket.

Agents also searched Wang’s house and allegedly found two slow cookers in the basement that contained a red colored liquid, sludge substance which emitted a strong chemical odor and suspected it to be a lab for making a controlled substance. Also, crockpots with rags used as filters, a glass pipette and another jar containing a brown liquid were allegedly found. Agents also allegedly located tree bark, or roots, in the garbage with additional lye containers around the basement.

Drug Enforcement Agents were contacted and said the contents in the basement are often used to make dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is a powerful hallucinogenic drug and has similar effects of LSD. The substances were in the advancing stages of production in the home. Agents said the weight of the substance appeared to be well over 100 grams.

Agents also allegedly located packaging materials, scales, a small amount of marijuana, approximately 2 grams of Psilocybin Mushrooms, 2 shotguns, and a rifle in Wang’s bedroom. Wang has prior convictions which make him prohibited from possessing firearms.

CRDVOTF Commander Scott O’Brien said of the lab finding, “coming across a DMT lab is extremely rare. These labs create major risks to public safety. I’m proud of the collaborative effort by all the agencies involved that worked together to remove the lab from the community.”

Agents with the CRDVOTF were assisted by the Rice County Sheriff’s Office and K9 Units along with members from the Drug Enforcement Agency.