Moston man who made ecstasy pills in bedroom lab jailed

A man who made more than 38,500 ecstasy tablets in a makeshift laboratory set up in a bedroom has been jailed.

Greater Manchester Police said officers found the pills at Jian Huang's home in Moston in April 2023.

The force said the drugs were "likely bound for Parklife festival due to when they were recovered".

The 46-year-old admitted possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply at Manchester Crown Court and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

A police representative said officers were called to an anonymous reports of a row inside Huang's home on Arran Street on 19 April 2023.

They said Huang acted "extremely evasive" when officers questioned him and a subsequent search of the property revealed an upstairs bedroom with a padlocked door.

After forcing entry into the room, officers found the tablets and equipment that could be used to convert ecstasy into pills from its liquid form.

The force said some of the tablets were found suspended in liquid, while others were discovered drying around the makeshift laboratory.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Con Heather Gore said the case was "a great example of how much we rely on the public to report crime to us".

"Response officers did an outstanding job in bringing Huang to justice," she said.

"It looked like Huang was preparing to sell these drugs, which would have likely ended up at festivals such as Parklife, so seizing such a huge quantity was a significant result."

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]