Routine Stop Turns Up Meth Lab-in-a-Box

A traffic stop in Thousand Oaks ended with the arrest of a San Diego man Thursday when officers found a complete methamphetamine lab in the trunk of his car, authorities said.

The illicit lab-in-a-box was the first methamphetamine lab seized in the city of Thousand Oaks, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Gary Pentis of the East San Fernando Valley Narcotics Unit.

The man’s identity was withheld because of the continuing investigation, he said.

Chemicals found in the box were enough to produce about 2 1/2 pounds of the stimulant methamphetamine, worth about $25,000 wholesale and $105,000 on the street, Pentis said.

Among the materials seized were 2 1/2 pounds of ephedrine, red phosphorus, iodine crystals, acetone and muriatic acid, a heating element, a 5-liter flask, funnels, condensers, beakers, hoses, filters and an electronic scale.

The arrest occurred at 3:30 p.m. on Thousand Oaks Boulevard near Erbes Road, when a patrol deputy stopped a car for unspecified vehicle code violations, Pentis said.

The deputy found the driver under the influence of a stimulant, then learned that the man was wanted in the San Diego area for an outstanding traffic warrant, Pentis said.

Narcotics officers were called in to help search the vehicle, he said.