A former professor at Quebec's Laval University and his two sons were among those arrested in two provinces, in a sophisticated ecstasy production operation that police called one of the largest ever discovered in New Brunswick.

Daniel Cozak, 66, an adjunct professor in the chemistry department at Laval in the 1980s, was arrested in Lac-Baker, N.B., along with his 24-year-old son, Charles. They were charged with conspiracy to produce an illegal substance and drug production.

Police in Quebec and New Brunswick executed search warrants at six locations on Wednesday, including a cottage in Lac-Baker that investigators say was being used as a drug production lab.

Police said that lab had the capacity to produce 1.5 million pills per week. It appears the lab was just being set up and wasn't yet producing drugs.

Police said the Lac-Baker lab had the capacity to produce 1.5 million pills a week. (New Brunswick RCMP)

According to his online CV, Cozak obtained a doctorate in organometallic chemistry from McGill University and had been working in the private sector.

He is listed as an instructor on the website of Haward Technology Middle East, which provides technical training for engineers.

Charged with conspiracy, drug production

Cozak and his son appeared in court in Grand Falls, N.B., on Wednesday and are expected to make another appearance in Quebec court later this week.

Another son, Samuel Cozak, 26, and a 55-year-old woman from Ste-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier were arrested in Quebec.

Since leaving Laval University in the 80s, Daniel Cozak had been working in the private sector, according to his CV. (Academia.edu)

The investigation in the northwestern community of Lac-Baker led to the discovery of what the RCMP called, "one of the largest and most sophisticated labs ever discovered in the province."

"It appears to have been professionally constructed, meaning these individuals have extensive knowledge in chemistry," RCMP Staff Sgt. Alain Lang said in a release.

The arrests are a result of a joint investigation between the RCMP, Quebec provincial police and the Edmundston police.

Officials are dismantling the lab.

The investigation is ongoing.