Drug factory suspect in court
Drug factory suspect in court
Man was making DMT in his New Haven home
Updated: Friday, 29 May 2009, 5:21 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 29 May 2009, 5:21 PM EDT
* Story by: Annie Rourke
New Haven (WTNH) - A psychedelic drug that hasn't been seen by law enforcement for decades appears to be making a comeback. One man was arrested Thursday on charges he was making DMT, or Dimethyltryptamine, inside his New Haven home.
Ryan Canfield, 32, was arraigned in New Haven Superior Court Friday morning following the massive drug bust at his Woodward Avenue home. Detectives found three kilos of DMT with a street value of about $3 million in the basement of the home. The drug is a hallucinogenic, similar to LSD, and comes in crystallized powder which can be smoked, or in liquid form which can be drunk. It's called the 'businessman's trip' because the high only lasts about 45 minutes.
"You take it, maybe about a half hour, you trip for a half hour and then you're fine, they would go back to work, on their lunch break, take a hit of it and go back to work," explained Detective Matthew Merced, New Haven Police Department.
Like methamphetamine, the process to the make DMT is very dangerous since the chemicals are highly combustible. A special DEA team from Boston was called to New Haven to help disassemble the DMT lab.
"It's definitely not something we want to catch on in New Haven, let alone anywhere in the state," Detective Merced said.
Police say Canfield downloaded directions from Internet.
"This is something anybody can make, high school kid, an 8th grader can pull this off the Internet," said Detective Merced.
It's believed to be the first DMT lab bust in the state.
"Prior to this, I hadn't heard of it either so I hope it's not an emerging drug," Detective Merced said.
While in court today, News Channel 8 learned that this is not Canfield's first brush with the law. He has a federal conviction for counterfeiting and prior drug convictions in Massachusetts. In fact, he had two weeks left of probation and is likely to be remanded to Massachusetts.
Another resident of the home, 33-year old Timothy Dawson was arrested Thursday for interfering with a search warrant, as well as a woman. We don't know her name of the charges she faces.
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/crime/news_wtnh_newhaven_drugfactorysuspect_200905291720