Pubdate: Fri, 25 Oct 2002
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (MS)
Copyright: 2002 Journal Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.djournal.com/djournal/site/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/823
Author: Errol Castens

INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO FOCUS ON METH TRADE

The Partnership Will Combat Fast-Growing Drug Threat

OXFORD - Law enforcement officials say the formation of an interagency team 
to battle methamphetamine trafficking in North Mississippi is an idea whose 
time has come.

In the past six years, seizures of "meth" labs has gone from zero to more 
than 100 annually in North Mississippi.

"These labs are dangerous," said Jim Greenlee, U.S. Attorney for the 
Northern District of Mississippi. "The drugs they manufacture are dangerous."

The North Mississippi Methamphetamine Enforcement Team was formally begun 
Thursday, using a $250,000 grant from the White House Office on National 
Drug Control Policy, along with funding and officers contributed by 
participating agencies.

Police departments from Tupelo, Oxford and Southaven are partnering with 
the Panola County Sheriff's Office, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the 
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the U.S. Drug Enforcement 
Administration to form the task force.

"These were the initial local, state and federal agencies that showed they 
wanted to sign on since the inception," said Greenlee, whose office will 
coordinate the task force.

Methamphetamine manufacture, trafficking and use constitute a growing 
problem in North Mississippi. Beyond the inherent physical and mental risks 
to its users, the potential for explosions in meth's manufacturing process 
also threatens innocent bystanders.

Jim Craig, special agent in charge of DEA's New Orleans Division, which 
covers Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama, told Thursday of a 
large meth lab discovered in a hotel room in Tunica last year.

"If it had blown up," he said, "it would have taken the top three floors of 
that hotel."

Officials say their shared focus on meth will help with other drug 
enforcement, too.

"Once you find out about meth trafficking, you learn about other drug 
dealings," Greenlee said. "You get to where you can go back up the line 
from the street level dealer to bigger dealers and distributors."

Tupelo Police Chief Ron Smith endorsed the cooperative effort.

"We'll be sharing technology, information and manpower from the Mississippi 
River to the Alabama line," he said. "This will be a solid team working to 
make North Mississippi safer than it is today."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens