Crystal meth was an ingredient of ecstasy seized by police officers outside a Whitehorse rave at Takhini Arena in early February, RCMP have confirmed.

Whitehorse Sgt. Ross Milward said today the police laboratory confirmed that the 18 tablets seized by police included the highly-addictive crystal meth drug.

However, it did not provide an assessment of how crystal meth was included in each tablet, he said in an interview.

'A laboratory analysis report received this week confirms that the tablets were indeed ecstasy,' reads an RCMP press release issued this morning.

'The laboratory report also confirmed that methamphetamine (a.k.a. crystal meth) was also an ingredient mixed into the tablets. Crystal meth is a highly-toxic and addictive substance. In 2005, RCMP in British Columbia found that 69 per cent of seized ecstasy contained methamphetamine.'

Milward said drug users can't be assured of what's in illegal drugs like ecstasy. Nor they can they be assured of any sort of scientific consistency of different ingredients or portions of the different ingredients.

The people making the drugs aren't exactly rocket scientists working in a pharmacuetical laboratory, he suggested.

Following the seizure outside the rave, police charged 20-year-old Joel Nicholas Wilcox with one count of possession of a controlled substance and another count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Wilcox has also now been charged with trafficking in an illegal drug.

Police have also confirmed the source of the ecstasy seized is Alberta.

At the time of the rave, organizers emphasized the arrest took place outside in the parking lot, and that they do everything possible to make sure events organized for the 14- to 18-year-old crowd are free of alcohol and drugs.

Meanwhile, Yukoners can expect a more visible police presence on Yukon highways, looking for everything from unsafe vehicles to drug traffickers, Milward explained this morning.

He said rural officers were provided with additional training over the last 10 days by two RCMP officers visiting from B.C.

He said several charges were laid as a result of the roadside checkstops, including seven drug-related charges.

Milward said the B.C. officers helped the rural detachments with everything from the proper use of seatbelts, to looking for safety infractions on commercial vehicles to recognizing the look of guilt on somebody who may be transporting more than their overnight bag.

'These guys have to travel to distribute illegal drugs to wherever they are going into,' he said. 'So yeah, if we can apprehend them through check stops, there are certain things we can look for. When you are dealing with people who are guilty, sometimes they appear guilty.'

Milward, however, declined to get into details.

He did say with the rural officers having received the additional training over the last 10 days, they'll likely be more comfortable conducting stop-check work and generally increasing highway enforcement patrols.

So yes, he said, Yukoners can expect a more visibile RCMP presence on Yukon highways.

As a result of the training work at the different rural detachments, officers laid several charges:

• two charges were laid for possession of the purpose of trafficking one involving the seizure of 30.4 grams of marijuana and the other involving the seizure of 87 tablets of prescription drugs; T-three pain killers and Ativan.

• Officers also seized a total of 15 grams of marijuana, from five different highway travellers.

• two vehicles were impounded for reasons that were unclear today.

• Four, 24-hour suspensions were issued two for alcohol, two for drugs.

• tickets for 10 traffic violations were issued.