Pubdate: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 Source: Augusta Chronicle, The (GA) Copyright: 2001 The Augusta Chronicle Contact: http://www.augustachronicle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/31 Note: Does not publishing letters from outside of the immediate Georgia and South Carolina circulation area Author: Albert Ross Jr Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) REGIONAL METH USE IS RISING Seizures Increase Across Richmond, Columbia Counties Patrick Clayton sees more and more people ''chasing the dragon." The Drug Enforcement Administration special agent has watched methamphetamine seizures increase in recent years in Richmond and Columbia counties, narcotics officials said. Meth is highly addictive - producing a high that is not as intense as cocaine but that lasts longer, Special Agent Clayton said. ''Meth lasts about four to six hours, and cocaine lasts a half hour," he said. ''When you get off it, the withdrawal is the opposite of the stimulant - - you get very depressed. ''This causes a bad cycle because people are trying to get the same high they got the first time. We call it 'chasing the dragon."' Local narcotics officers, in conjunction with the DEA, have reported 55 arrests this year involving the possession, trafficking and manufacturing of methamphetamines in Richmond County. Last year, they recorded 35 arrests on such charges. Local seizures have included five meth-producing laboratories in the past year. On Thursday, members of the DEA and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office arrested four people in connection with a meth lab in Hephzibah and seized meth-making materials, including a portable lab that was found in a suspect's car. ''We've had an increase, but it was probably at the expense of some marijuana and cocaine cases," said Allan Rollins, an investigator with the Richmond County Sheriff's Narcotics Office. ''They all kind of run hand in hand. A true dealer will deal in anything that makes him money." Officers in Columbia County, also working with the DEA, identified one lab in 2001, and charged 10 people with possession, manufacturing and trafficking of meth. The department did not shut down any labs last year, but made 15 arrests related to possession and trafficking. ''It is a problem, and the use of that drug remains steady in our community," said Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris. Since October 2000, the DEA has shut down three labs in Columbia County, one in Warren County and one in Dublin, according to Special Agent Clayton. Agents arrested 10 people in those seizures on possession, manufacturing, trafficking and conspiracies charges, he said. ''Atlanta is the source for meth because traffickers are importing it in from Mexico," he said. ''We are on the routes, and when the sources are cut off or they are charging too much, the dealers decide to make it themselves. ''You can take $300 worth of chemicals, cook an ounce and have 1,200 bucks." Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, is easy to make, Investigator Rollins said. The main ingredient is a stimulant called ephedrine that can be found in most cold medications, he said. The manufacturing process involves the use of chemicals to convert the stimulant into a powder. The substance can then be injected, snorted or mixed into liquids, Investigator Rollins said. Meth labs come in various forms, from small kitchen labs to large facilities often found in rural areas. ''The process for making methamphetamine is highly explosive," Investigator Rollins said. ''You're mixing some pretty dangerous chemicals." Another synthetic drug similar to meth is Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, which is produced in a pill form. Excluding marijuana, Ecstasy is the drug of choice for teen-agers, and authorities are seeing a rise in its use, Investigator Rollins said. Narcotics officers arrested three men Sept. 18 at a hotel on Washington Road with 1,700 Ecstasy pills. They were charged with possession of Ecstasy with intent to distribute. ''That was a record seizure for us," Investigator Rollins said. ''At one time, we got five pills in a year, and now it's not unusual to get anywhere from five to 100 pills at a time." METH CRIMES The following is a list of methamphetamine arrests and seizures in Richmond County in the past five years. Police have confiscated, on average, half an ounce to one ounce of meth during each seizure. Possession of meth - 29 Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 3 Trafficking of meth (more than 28 grams) - 8 Manufacturing of meth - 8 Conspiracy meth charges - 7 Total: 55 arrests and seizures Possession of meth - 19 Possession with intent to distribute - 3 Trafficking of meth - 6 Manufacturing of meth - 1 Conspiracy meth charges - 6 Total: 35 arrests and seizures Record seizure: Narcotics officers confiscated two pounds of meth from a house on Wrightsboro Road in February 2000. Possession of meth - 13 Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 3 Trafficking of meth - 2 Sale of meth - 1 Total: 19 arrests and seizures Possession of meth - 9 Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 19 Sale of meth - 3 Trafficking of meth - 2 Manufacturing of meth - 1 Total: 34 arrests and seizures Possession of meth - 27 Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 10 Sale of meth - 1 Trafficking of meth - 5 Total: 43 arrests and seizures; this was a record year for meth seizures mainly because of intelligence received about meth labs. METH LABS Telltale signs of a methamphetamine lab include: Glassware - Meth labs have odd-shaped bottles and glasses in which the methamphetamine is cooked. Chemical fumes - Because meth labs need ventilation, odors from chemicals used as catalysts, such as iodine, ether and phosphorus, will be in the air. Location - Meth manufacturers need an open field with ventilation to make their product. These shelters can be tents, garages and sheds. Chemicals - Any odd chemicals such as iodine, red phosphorus, ether, ephedrine and anhydrous ammonia can be used. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk