Photo by Vince Fedoroff
CHARGES LAID AFTER BLAZE – After city firefighters were called to this Alsek Road home early Sunday morning to extinguish a blaze, they alerted the RCMP. Police subsequently investigated signs of a drug lab on the premises and charged a man.
Whitehorse RCMP have charged a 23-year-old man after stumbling upon an illegal drug lab in Riverdale over the weekend.
Whitehorse RCMP have charged a 23-year-old man after stumbling upon an illegal drug lab in Riverdale over the weekend.
Whitehorse resident Trevor Mendham has been charged with production and possession of a schedule I drug, methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth.
Firefighters were called in at the Alsek Road residence between 1:00 and 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
They quickly extinguished the fire but called the RCMP shortly before 2 a.m.
“Indicators at the scene led responders to believe that an illegal drug production facility was set up in the residence,” police said in a press release.
Because of the safety issues clandestine drug labs can pose, a special team was brought in, Whitehorse RCMP Ins. Archie Thompson told the Star today.
The RCMP clandestine drug lab team flew to Whitehorse from B.C. and dismantled the lab.
On Sunday, police determined the risk to public safety to be low.
No evacuations of nearby homes were ordered.
It’s not clear whether the fire was caused by the drug lab set-up.
Fire officials told the Star the cause is still under investigation. The police investigation delayed their own investigation.
The resident himself phoned to report the fire.
Mendham has also been charged with endangering the lives and safety of the public.
“(Mendham) did commit a common nuisance by mixing volatile with the intent to produced Controlled drugs and substances,” the charge alleges.
Mendham first appeared in Yukon territorial court on Sunday.
He is scheduled to be back on Tuesday for a bail hearing.
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Comments (16)
Up 2 Down 3
Alan Munson on Feb 27, 2016 at 12:23 pm
Josey
I am not into the hug a thug thing
He is young and can change
Hope the jail time does not spoil the child
Up 7 Down 0
D'uh on Feb 26, 2016 at 2:31 pm
Yukon's Dumbest Criminal, glad he was caught!!!
Up 7 Down 12
Josey Wales on Feb 24, 2016 at 5:23 pm
Hey Max..indeed the crew (of which I'm one) is out.
I gave you your number 10 up, and your right there is not enough info but...
The Mounties said so, and they never lie...do they?
I guess the pitchfork sales are directly proportionate to the harvest required.
Our crop of criminal scum, whatever ilk they are...needs a good burn.
The courts are not into such, clearly.
Please tell ol' Josey your not a "hug a thug" supporter?
You illustrated your kinda a fact guy, me too.
Fact...our community is a criminal infested s**it-hole.
Up 31 Down 8
Max Mack on Feb 23, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Glad to see the mob out in force today. Not enough information to make an informed opinion on this situation, but the "hang-em-high" crowd is ready for a lynching. Mobocracy at its finest.
Up 9 Down 24
Mark on Feb 23, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Quick! Tear the house down to cover up the landlord's neglect in dealing with tenants. Or does that kind of thing only take place when a family dies? This house is now contaminated with god knows what. It will now be known as the "meth" house. Full disclosure will be required should the owner want to sell it now, I suspect.
Up 12 Down 42
Alan Miner on Feb 23, 2016 at 2:57 pm
Ohh Josey
The silver lining is that he showed some initiative and called the fire department. The darker cloud is that people may have been buying his meth. It's not clear from the article if he was selling it.
So, are really against a young man - but let the government's alcohol sales ruin many lives which is so evident on our streets.
Hopefully this young man will be offered a program to help himself.
Up 32 Down 12
@what on Feb 23, 2016 at 1:33 pm
BnR, are you suggesting he not call the fire department and allow a neighbourhood to burn down killing numerous people ? That may be the dumbest comment I've ever read on these "comments".
Up 71 Down 3
woodcutter on Feb 23, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Should not the headline read Fire fighters discover drug lab, since the police where pretty much surprised that it existed.
Up 53 Down 5
ProScience Greenie on Feb 23, 2016 at 9:47 am
Good news this lab was shut down. That stuff is deadly.
If you know anybody that is manufacturing or distributing hard drugs like meth, crack, heroin or prescription drugs have nothing to do with them. If you feel safe enough to do so report them to the police. There is nothing cool about these people. They are destroying lives and need to be shut down.
Hope the Feds legalize weed sooner than later and then tell our police forces and justice system to turn all available resources into shutting down the hard drug trade including the suit and tie enablers that are at the top of the manufacturing and distribution networks. Not a big supporter of 'scorched earth' campaigns but will make an exception on that as I've seen too many lives wrecked by the sociopaths that profit from it.
Up 43 Down 10
Josey Wales on Feb 23, 2016 at 6:40 am
Ummm Bobby....I agree re: level of scumbagness (my words not yours) but about that?
Yes Bobby this is Canada and "the book" you speak of one wished thrown his way, is more like being hit with the weekly Sears flyer.
Barely will it get a paper cut from said encounter from desired book tossing.
Too bad it never blew the house up with the alleged scumbags inside.
Up 71 Down 12
Long time yukoner on Feb 23, 2016 at 12:13 am
Wow sadly a new low for Yukon, this is the kind of s**t that led to vigilante mobs on Main Street a decade ago, I mean traditional drugs like pot, hash, mushrooms, and the like are what you expect to see but meth? It's bad enough that it ( meth ) is here but manufacturers in Whitehorse is over the line.
Up 21 Down 85
DB cooper on Feb 22, 2016 at 9:30 pm
The case hasn't been outlined to the public. I encourage everyone to look beyond the headlines, nobody knows the situation here, how much he was producing, if he was producing any at all... maybe "throwing the book" at him would just do more damage than good, poor kid.
Up 57 Down 7
June Jackson on Feb 22, 2016 at 6:35 pm
It's disheartening that this crap is going on in our little City. If there is one.. there is another one... I totally agree with Bobby Bitman... but I would really like to know what is in the heads of the people who buy this stuff... why?
Up 83 Down 4
Whitehorse Resident on Feb 22, 2016 at 5:35 pm
With the increase in violence, robberies and crime in the Yukon as well as tragic deaths the Communities that are often tied to hard drug use, I think that this guy should be made an example of...drug dealers, let alone drug manufacturers, should not be welcome in this community. Great work Fire Department and RCMP in coordinating and dealing with this dangerous situation.
Up 57 Down 65
BnR on Feb 22, 2016 at 5:01 pm
Bobby
In this case, the meth dealer was operating on total stupidity. What was he thinking calling the FD? "Geez, maybe they won't notice the meth lab"
Ok kids, another great example, don't do drugs, it makes you dumb.
Up 179 Down 21
Bobby Bitman on Feb 22, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Throw the book at him. Anyone producing meth is beyond any form of sympathy. The meth dealer operates on total greed and doesn't care who is destroyed in his choice of how to make money.