'Operation Baffle' leads to arrests

A major drug bust in St. John's is raising awarenessabout a dangerous synthetic street drug known as 'bath salts'.

Six men were charged in St. John's on Tuesday with conspiracy to traffic in drugs, and four of them have been allegedly connected to the drug.

The RCMP said the drugstarted showing up in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010 adding the 25 kilos found this week in the gas tank of a pickup is a significant bust.

The arrests and charges followed a nine-month RCMP investigation police called Operation Baffle. At least four of the six men arrested are from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Policehave charged several people with conspiracy to traffic MDVPotherwise known as bath saltsAlex Prefontaine, Quebec; Rodney Noseworthy, Mount Pearl; Charlie Noftall, St. John's and Tan Tai Huynh, Quebec.

The two local men have been granted bail, andthe two from outsidethe province have a bail hearing pending.

Police believe the men were intending to mislead their customers, selling bath salts as cocaine.

The street drug is 10 times stronger than cocaine, and can kill those who take it.