Meth imports on rise as labs decline

A 2005 state law that keeps one of the main ingredients of methamphetamine behind the pharmacy counter has greatly reduced the number of meth labs in Southeast Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said 14 labs were reported in Cape Girardeau County last year, down from 20 in 2005. Scott County reported eight labs in 2005 and six last year.

However, police say the highly addictive drug is now being brought in from California, Texas and Mexico.

"I think the biggest thing is the misconception that methamphetamine is under control," said Kevin Glaser, Missouri State Highway Patrol sergeant and coordinator of the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. "I don't feel that's the case at all. Now importation by individuals and organizations is a problem."

The law keeps products with pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in cold and allergy medications, behind the counter. When it took effect, traffickers were quick to pick up the slack, Glaser said. Interstates 44 and 70 are popular routes for traffickers, he said, but added that police heavily patrol only some sections of those roads.

The evidence of trafficking was simple: price. The cost of meth has been stable, at about $100 a gram for the past several years. "It's the law of supply and demand," he said. "If the supply had been cut off, the price would be higher."

Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said the county has experienced a resurgence of meth trafficking but that trafficking is not new for the county. "That's the way it used to be long ago before the local cooks got the recipes," he said.

Walter said deputies catch most offenders through routine traffic stops. The department also takes advantage of state funding for patrolling interstates and state highways, where Walter said deputies have made a surprising number of arrests for methamphetamine and other drugs in motorists' cars.

"You have to change gears and work completely different than what you used to years ago," Walter said, comparing the lab busts to trafficking.

While the number of meth cases is down in Cape Girardeau, police have seen an increase in use of other drugs, particularly crack, powder cocaine and prescription drugs.

"When someone's addicted to a drug and they can't get it, they will probably take another drug," police Sgt. Barry Hovis said.

The drug remains a problem in Jackson despite fewer labs being found, said Jackson police Lt. Rodney Barnes.

Barnes said Jackson police started taking an aggressive approach to drugs two years ago to send a message to would-be criminals that drug trafficking, distribution and use would not be tolerated. "The reason we stay on top of it is we realize if we ignore it, it will get worse," he said.

Walter has also cracked down on methamphetamine in Scott County by turning the sheriff's office into a 24/7 operation when he took office in January 2005.

Shortly after the change took effect, deputies arrested a meth user who supported his habit by burglarizing houses at night when he knew no police were on duty. When arrested the suspect was linked to about 22 burglaries in the county, Walter said. Walter said the bust yielded five pounds of ice, a variety of meth called that because of its crystalline look.

Though the pseudoephedrine law hasn't eliminated meth, it has made police officers' jobs easier. Stopping traffickers is less costly and dangerous than fighting meth labs, Glaser said.

Labs required more manpower to investigate and shut down, he said. Once a lab was discovered, police had to dismantle it and dispose of the hazardous chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine, such as anhydrous ammonia, battery acid and drain cleaner.

"Our efforts used to go towards restricting these labs," he said. "It's a really, really good thing we've eliminated the labs."

However, he is concerned meth users may return to making the drug at home. In Southeast Missouri, meth, whether regular or ice, is typically cut down to 35 percent meth, Glaser said, but a home lab's product can be up to 90 percent pure.

Ice is marketed as being more potent and costs about $30 a gram more than regular meth. "Chemically, it's basically the same structure," Glaser said. "People on the street think they are getting a better product because of the way it looks, but meth users have complaints about the quality of the drug."

carel@semissourian.com

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