BAL HARBOUR, Fla. – Miami-Dade police have confirmed that a “clandestine laboratory” found inside a 15th-floor unit at a Bal Harbour condominium was used for the manufacturing of methamphetamine.
The narcotics investigation continued Tuesday after chemicals and paraphernalia were found inside that condo a day earlier, causing three floors to be evacuated.
Federal agents, police, fire and hazmat units swarmed the Majestic Towers Condo at 9601 Collins Avenue on Monday, working well into the night after a possible drug lab was found inside a unit.
“They discovered what appears to be objects and stuff that’s consistent with a clandestine lab,” Det. Alvaro Zabaleta of Miami-Dade police said. “If you can picture science project objects.”
Police say a tenant was evicted last week and when the owner came to look at their unit Monday, they found chemicals and paraphernalia inside.
Residents on the 14th, 15th and 16th floors were told to evacuate their units as a safety precaution. No injuries were reported.
“They called and said they were evacuating 14, 15 and 16 and you need to leave right now,” resident Marie Miller said.
A bomb squad was spotted collecting evidence on a 15th-floor balcony Monday night.
Investigators say they are following all leads and are looking into the last person who rented the unit where the meth lab was found.
Bal Harbour Mayor Gabriel Groisman said he received calls from several frantic tenants after they saw nearly 30 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trucks surrounding the building Monday.
“At first everybody was afraid, seeing all the activity from the fire rescue. We are just a couple of blocks from Champlain Towers [where the condo collapses in Surfside], so everybody was nervous with that,” Groisman said. “Glad law enforcement took care of it so quickly and the fire department did such a good job.”