Scotland’s biggest street valium factory has been uncovered at a village industrial unit.
Police say the equipment seized could churn out 180,000 so-called blue plague pills an hour.
Officers are now trying to track down the people responsible.
Street valium, also known as etizolam, was involved in the vast majority of Scotland’s record-breaking 1339 drug deaths in 2020.
Police chiefs hailed officers’ “outstanding” work in smashing the operation in Salsburgh, Lanarkshire.
A crime team secured search warrants for the Springfield Park unit in September as a result of “intelligence development work”.
In a crime report to councillors, the force stated: “The location housed a commercial site being used for the large scale production of specifically etizolam.
“The location was subjected to a prolonged forensic examination in an effort to secure evidence.
“It was capable of producing 180,000 tablets per hour. This has been the most significant recovery of its kind in Scotland.”
Cops also seized 1kg of cocaine during the operation. Locals were stunned at the scale of the operation.
One resident said: “I noticed police activity and thought the building must be a crime scene. It seemed to be top secret.”
A worker in the industrial estate said: “These pills kill many people. If the police have managed to stop production that’s good news.”
Police said no arrests had been made and inquiries were ongoing.
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