HALIFAX - Two people are facing charges of illegally exporting millions of ephedrine tablets internationally.
The Canada Border Services Agency says 63-year-old Barry James MacKinnon of Upper Sackville, N.S., and 36-year-old Kelly MacKinnon of Charlottetown are charged with four offences under the Customs Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The agency alleges more than three million tablets of ephedrine were sent to international customers through an Internet business.
It says the substance was shipped to customers and described as gifts and dietary supplements through more than 5,000 separate transactions to multiple countries, but primarily to the U.S.
It says ephedrine is listed as a precursor substance, which can be used to make illicit drugs and is controlled by Health Canada.
A licence or permit authorized by Health Canada is required to import or export the drug from Canada.
