AUTHORITIES BRAVE RISK AS METH LAB BUSTS RISE

Drug Makes Comeback Across Region

SUMMERVILLE--Before anyone knocks on a door, somebody checks to make sure
the gas masks, fire-resistant suits, bomb squads and ambulances are all in
place.

When it comes to busting a suspected methamphetamine laboratory, even
something as routine as serving a warrant turns into a grim adventure.

Local authorities say the drug, known on the street as "crank" or
"crystal meth," is making a comeback in the Lowcountry, the state and
the South.

Lab seizures have increased statewide from 25 in fiscal year 2000-01
to 130 in FY 2002-03, which ended Sept. 30. While most South Carolina
methamphetamine labs are found in the Upstate, the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration reported a 400 percent to 500 percent
increase in clandestine laboratories in Charleston, Dorchester and
Berkeley counties this year alone.

Manufacturers of the drug, a powerful stimulant, "cook" their product
in homes, vehicles, boats or makeshift kitchens set up in rural wooded
areas.

Methamphetamine has been available in South Carolina for years, but
until recently officials suspected most of the local supply was
smuggled in from Mexico, California and Atlanta. In recent years,
though, investigators noted a marked increase in manufacture of the
drug in rural areas near larger cities including Charleston, Anderson
and Greenville.

"The frightening thing is, you might live next door to these people,
your children may be playing in their homes and be exposed to deadly
chemicals," said John Ozaluk, agent in charge of South Carolina U.S.
Drug Administration offices. "If you could see these fumes, you'd see
them fall to the floor where children play, where their toys are."

Officials have busted labs where dad was wearing a gas mask while
diaper-clad toddlers played unprotected at his feet, Ozaluk said.

The danger extends to the environment. Labs in California and Mexico
capable of producing 50 to 100 pounds of the drug at a time also
produce toxic waste worthy of cleanup by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.

The DEA spent about $300,000 in South Carolina this year on
cleanup.

Every pound of methamphetamine produces five to six pounds of waste,
said Sgt. David Robertson of the Charleston County Sheriff's Office,
whose narcotics team assists other agencies with most methamphetamine
lab seizures in the Trident area.

"Three years ago, we may have had one or two busts," Robertson said.
"This year we've had 25 or more."

Robertson and Ozaluk said the increase in busts may be attributed to a
previous lack of education in spotting manufacturers' setups. That's
because many ingredients for the drug -- acetone, drain cleaner and
lithium extracted from rechargeable batteries -- can be purchased at
places such as Wal-Mart, Lowe's and the neighborhood drugstore.

Another necessary component, anhydrous ammonia, often is stolen from
farmers. Other fertilizers, refrigerants and cleaners are stolen from
people and corporations with legitimate uses for them.

Law enforcement officials in the area may have missed tell-tale signs
of the labs simply because they didn't know what they were looking
at.

"Some just couldn't put two and two together," Ozaluk said. "They
might have gone out on a loud music complaint, saw a meth lab and
didn't even know it. Unless you're really tuned in to the stuff,
you're not going to recognize it."

Experts say telltale signs include homes where the shades are drawn
around the clock, places where people come and go at all hours, an
abnormal amount of 20-pound propane tanks, and chemical smells.

"Stay away from the houses, tanks or chemicals that might be stored in
glass jars, but report suspicious activities," Robertson said. "All of
these busts start with a tip."

Once that happens, trained officers go in for more information. Many
of these officers are agents who work undercover, so their names are
withheld to protect their identity. One of them, a 32-year-old member
of a local drug task force, said just serving a search warrant at a
suspected meth lab is an adrenaline rush.

In addition to the usual risks associated with busting someone in the
drug trade, a meth lab itself can be a killer. Sometimes they explode,
and just breathing certain chemicals can be hazardous.

Officers don special suits and gas masks, they station themselves at
front and back doors, windows and near sheds, and then they go in.

"You worry about yourself, your teammates and people who've never been
around a lab making entry into a house," the undercover officer said.

He talked about a recent bust in Summerville: "We had no idea where
anybody was, in the house or cooking. So everyone is briefed, told if
they come across something, don't mess with it, don't smell it. Just
secure the people and get them out of the house."

Inhaling phosphine gas, chlorine gas and anhydrous ammonia can cause
irreparable damage to a person's lungs or central nervous system. In
some cases, contact can be fatal.

"Luckily for us, we've had people smell stuff and nothing happened to
them," the officer said. "But we've seen tapes of explosions and
severe injuries because people just didn't know what they were doing."

With officers and the public being trained to spot labs, the DEA
expects to find more labs. Ozaluk said the problem isn't going away
and pointed to the steady increase in lab seizures in the Southeast,
including the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee.

"Some of the people cooking this stuff are lucky; some are unlucky,"
Robertson said. "They don't care about the dangers. The power of the
drug is more important to them then their own lives, or even the lives
of their children."

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MORE ON METHAMPHETAMINE

Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically
affects the central nervous system. The drug is made in clandestine
laboratories with relatively inexpensive over-the-counter
ingredients.

Methamphetamine is commonly known as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." In
its smoked form, it is often referred to as "ice," "crystal," "crank,"
and "glass." It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline
powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol. The drug was
developed early in this century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and
was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers.

Chronic abuse can lead to psychotic behavior, characterized by intense
paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations, and out-of-control rages
that can be coupled with violent behavior.

Many people may be unaware that they're living near a meth lab. Here
are some things to look for:

- - Unusual, strong odors (such as cat urine, ether, ammonia, acetone
or other chemicals).

- - Residences with windows blacked out.

- - Renters who pay their landlords in cash. (Most drug dealers trade
exclusively in cash.)

- - Lots of traffic, with people coming and going at unusual
times.

- - Excessive trash, including large amounts of items such as
antifreeze containers, lantern fuel cans, red chemically stained
coffee filters, drain cleaner and duct tape.