The Department of Homeland Security says a drug raid on a Royal Oak business is connected to a raid at a home on Detroit’s east side.
The two raids happened simultaneously Wednesday.
Homeland Security Investigators along with Michigan State Police’s Methamphetamine Team raided the Affordable Lab business in Royal Oak on Crooks Rd. near 13 Mile. HSI tells us they issued the search warrant for a criminal case at the business around 7 a.m.
HSI along with Border Patrol, Detroit's Gang Unit and Detroit Fire and EMS were all on hand for the other raid at a home in the 4000 block of Manistique Street, near E. Warren Ave.
Sources tell Seven Action News the home is an alleged fentanyl lab.
Evidence was collected from both locations, although no arrests were made.
A sign posted on the outside of the lab now reads, “A clandestine laboratory for the manufacture of illegal drugs and/or hazardous chemicals was seized at this location.”
The man who owns the Royal Oak building, Dr. David Beneson, says Affordable Lab has rented a space in the building for eight years.
"They were here about four days a week, and people would come and go for blood tests as far as we knew."
Dr. Beneson also owns a podiatry practice next door says he never had any suspicions.
"Kind of mind boggling because we never heard or saw anything that sounded unusual."
On their website the Affordable Lab says they don't work with insurance, so their costs are low.
In a commercial video online they advertises blood and urine testing for court, paternity cases and STD's.
Neighbors who live nearby, like Leslie Colone, say they hardly took notice of the small brick building and the Affordable Lab never appeared to be busy.
"Very surprised, it's a very family-friendly, quiet neighborhood that we love living in and we didn't know that anything was going on in the building."
Evidence collected today will be presented to a judge once this case is filed in federal court.
The Department of Homeland Security issued the following statement:
Today, special agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations are executing federal sealed search warrants in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation. Efforts began at approximately 7:00 a.m. today. Additional personnel from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Michigan National Guard, Michigan State Police and the Royal Oak and Detroit Police Departments are supporting in the investigation.
