Local News

PERRY COUNTY AUTHORITIES DISCOVER FIRST METH LAB OF 2005

NEW LEXINGTON -- The Perry County Sheriff's Office uncovered a
methamphetamine lab Thursday morning, the first of 2005 for the county.

At 9:52 a.m., a search warrant was executed at 5644 Rush Creek Road,
outside Somerset. One person, whose name was unavailable, was detained and
then released.

Perry County Sgt. Ed Miller said officers recovered what is believed to be
methamphetamine. It was sent to the crime lab for identification. He said
chemicals used to manufacture the drug were not present at the residence.

The Perry County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Ohio Bureau of
Criminal Identification and Investigation and the Fairfield County
Sheriff's Office, have been following the activity at the residence, Miller
said.

He added that complaints from citizens, reports of the theft of anhydrous
- -- a chemical used in the manufacturing of meth -- and information police
acquired through investigation led to the execution of the search warrant.

As many as four suspects could be indicted if the chemical testing
determines the evidence recovered was methamphetamine, Miller said.

Eleven meth labs were found in Perry County in 2004.