Man Held Over Drug Lab in Car

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 Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Gary Pentis of the East Valley Narcotics Unit.

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

There were enough chemicals in the box 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. Also found were a heating element, a five-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 the car for vehicle code violations, Pentis said.

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

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