Two Canadians from Chilliwack are in an American prison after allegedly mistakenly crossing the border at Aldergrove with meth-making equipment in their car.
Just after 7 p.m., a 1994 Pontiac Grand Am arrived at the crossing headed south into Lynden, Washington.
The car was singled out for an inspection, and officers found what they described as a “boxed clandestine drug lab†on the back seat.
A plastic tote tub, sealed with plastic wrap, contained an unknown liquid.
One U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer became naseauous, threw up, and was taken to hospital after smelling the car.
Bellingham Police then used a robot armed with a camera to check out the car, including the trunk. Among other items, they found gas cans duct-taped shut, strainers and bottles with white residue inside, and canisters full of chemicals.
The two people inside the vehicle, Calum James Buchanan, 41, and Lola Crystal McKay, 24, have both been arrested for the unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine.
They made their first appearance before a judge in Whatcom County on Monday.
It seems that the duo may not have wanted to head into the States at all.
According to court documents, Buchanan told police he was being paid $500 to deliver the equipment to a third party in Canada.
McKay has denied knowning anything about the drug lab in the vehicle, court records say.