Pubdate: Sun, 23 Mar 2003
Source: San Bernardino Sun (CA)
Copyright: 2003 MediaNews Group, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.sbsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1417
Author: C.J. Schexnayder

AREA STILL NO. 1 IN METH

Big-Money 'Superlabs' Major Obstacle In Fight Against Drug

The number of methamphetamine labs found in San Bernardino County plummeted 
last year, but the region remains the capital of the drug's production for 
the nation.

"We've made some dramatic progress from the all-time high a few years ago, 
but we still have a huge problem that needs to be dealt with,' said 
sheriff's Lt. Lee Hamblin.

The Inland Narcotics Clearing House, a group that assembles methamphetamine 
data for a multi-agency task force in the Inland Empire, released the 2002 
Hammer Report this month outlining the scope of the drug's effect over the 
year.

A total of 186 labs were seized in the county last year 43 percent fewer 
than in 2001 and 72 percent below the all-time high of 661 labs found in 1999.

In addition, methamphetamine arrests at labs fell by almost 200 to 384, and 
the total of 70 children found at county labs during seizures was 34 
percent fewer than in 2001.

But officials say the methamphetamine problem is still critical.

"We had more than 300 incidents last year,' Hamblin said. "That's an 
incredibly high number, almost one incident for every day of the year.'

And the trend continues five labs were seized in the county on the first 
day of 2003.

No other county in the state had as many labs, dumps and seizures of 
chemicals as San Bernardino County last year, according to the report. In 
contrast, Riverside County came in second with 213 incidents, and only 
three other counties had more than 100.

In fact, the number of labs seized in San Bernardino and Riverside counties 
was more than found in all the remaining counties in California combined 
and exceeded the amount discovered in any state in the nation except for 
Washington and Tennessee.

The statistics in the Hammer Report vary slightly from other tallies 
because it contains data from agencies that work with the regional 
methamphetamine task force, which includes the San Bernardino County and 
Riverside County sheriff's departments.

The group concentrates on the Inland Empire for the Los Angeles High 
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a task force that is a partnership of the 
major federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Law enforcement experts say the sudden downturn in methamphetamine 
statistics reflects new strategies taken to combat the problem.

Those include new state and federal limits on the purchase of equipment and 
chemicals used in the manufacture of the drug as well as increased pressure 
by law enforcement on drug-producing organizations.

"It's cheaper now to just buy it rather than make it,' said Riverside 
County sheriff's Sgt. Rod Crisp, who is with the narcotics clearing house. 
"The chemicals and the risk of getting caught are pushing a lot of the 
smaller labs out of the picture.'

But that has created another problem for law enforcement. The vast majority 
of labs, up to 90 percent, are mom-and-pop operations that create only a 
pound or two of the drug at a time. Those are the ones that are 
disappearing, Hamblin said.

What hasn't been affected are superlabs run by drug-trafficking 
organizations. These labs, authorities say, are operated by Mexican drug 
traffickers and produce at least 10 pounds of meth in a 24-hour period.

But the statistics on superlabs tend to be misleading because of the 
relatively small number seized, Crisp said. In 2000, 15 superlabs were 
found in the county. That number doubled in 2001 but fell to only 10 last year.

Law enforcement officials dealing with the methamphetamine problem say all 
the activity they see indicates the larger operations are on the upswing.

"It's the No. 1 thing we are dealing with,' said Michele Leonhart, the 
special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Los 
Angeles field division. "This is not just a group of people who go out and 
cook meth for themselves and their friends. These labs are run by major 
Mexican drug-trafficking operations.'

Superlabs make up a minuscule portion of the overall number of labs in the 
area, yet they produce the bulk of the drug in circulation.

Law enforcement officials estimate that the 22 such labs found in San 
Bernardino and Riverside counties last year had the capacity to produce 
more than 17 tons of the drug, worth more than $150 million.

According to the Hammer Report, the superlabs tend to be clustered in 
communities along major highways because much of the drug produced is 
shipped other places to be sold.

"The problem is that much of the drug made elsewhere is still run through 
the area on its way to points east,' Hamblin said.

The reason is simple economics. A pound of methamphetamine can be sold for, 
at most, $5,500 in Southern California, according to the report. The same 
amount can bring in more than $21,000 on the East Coast.

And with that much at stake, the organizations have become more savvy, 
using new tactics. Superlabs are an example.

Superlabs can organize the steps of drug production at different places, 
and move into urban areas where they can be less recognizable.

"What we have found is like with all drug enforcement, once law enforcement 
becomes successful at a certain technique the traffickers become adept at 
avoiding that,' Hamblin said. "The organizations have learned not to put 
all their eggs in one basket.'

And the problem has spread. Superlabs are showing up with greater frequency 
in other areas of California and in neighboring states. Mexican superlabs 
are also becoming more common, Hamblin said.

"The labs south of the border have skyrocketed,' said Ken Bambrick, a 
special agent with the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. "And we are 
seeing more of these labs spread outside of our jurisdiction. This isn't a 
problem that is going to go away anytime soon.'
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