SNIFFING OUT METH LABS CONSTANT BATTLE

Sniffing Out Meth Labs Constant Battle Drug Is Cheap, Easy To
Manufacture But Exacts Huge Toll On Users, Families, Authorities Say

MONCKS CORNER - On a spring day two years ago, members of Berkeley
County's "meth" team cautiously approached a rusty Winnebago in a
country field.

Deputies suspected someone was inside cooking a batch of
methamphetamine. But they needed a closer look.

Suddenly, a man confronted them, then ordered his chained dog to
attack before running to destroy the load of toxic chemicals stored in
his mobile lab.

When deputies finally got the man out, he dropped to the ground
babbling in paranoia.

Hunting methamphetamine is a constant battle in the Lowcountry and in
Berkeley County. Just like illegal alcohol stills from the last
century, Berkeley's heavily wooded backcountry provides perfect cover
for cookers with no thought about the damage that's spread or the
pollution left behind.

One lab was even found in the swamp near the monks' retreat of Mepkin
Abbey. The owner had divided his operation into three sites, spread
far apart for better concealment.

Among the ingredients authorities found was anhydrous ammonia, a
component used in fertilizers and explosives and an important part of
the meth recipe.

"It was the most volatile type of lab you could have," said a deputy
with the county's "Meth Squad." He and other deputies asked not to be
identified for this story because of the dangerous nature of their
work.

Locally made and cheap

Meth is considered a cheap and easy drug to manufacture. Even before
the economy soured, meth had taken hold in Berkeley County. At least a
dozen people, some members of the same families, are on the sheriff's
list of suspected regular cookers, while many more are thought to be.

Plus, there are a slew of users and "smurfs" - slang given to the
runners employed by cookers to travel to drug stores around the state
trying to buy up recipe ingredients, mainly drugs that contain
ephedrine. Federal law has capped the sales of drugs or cold medicines
containing ephedrine to 3.6 grams a day, or 9 grams every 30 days.

Sheriff Wayne DeWitt said one difficult factor in hunting meth in
Berkeley is the county's size. At more than 1,000 square miles, the
county is the state's largest in terms of total area and is comparable
in size to the state of Rhode Island.

Deputies who chase meth labs insist Berkeley County's problem is not
much different than anywhere else in South Carolina. The cheap startup
cost to launch a lab, about $150 total for the ingredients and
hardware, makes meth ideal for getting a foothold. The cooking process
takes about four to six hours and a half-gram of the rock-shaped drug
sells for $100.

"The draw to it is that you can purchase everything you need from
local stores," said a Berkeley deputy who requested anonymity.

Striking pads on matchbooks are also a demand item because they
contain red phosphorus, another key ingredient in the process.

A distinctive odor

Methamphetamine has been around for decades. It is a highly addictive
stimulant that targets the central nervous system after being snorted,
smoked or injected. It comes in various forms, such as powder, rock
and crystal. Users are known to lose massive amounts of weight, suffer
scabs on their bodies and even lose teeth to "meth mouth" caused when
saliva dries up and decay takes over.

Berkeley officials reported busting up 11 labs last year, while 16
were destroyed in 2008. The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office said a
combined 15 labs were uncovered there and in the town of Summerville
last year. The Charleston County Sheriff's Office said it had only one
lab bust in 2009. Some suspects have been arrested in more than one
jurisdiction.

Law enforcement officials say that besides informants, the odor
produced from a running meth lab is the best means of detection. They
describe it as akin to the odor of burning cat urine.

"That's our advantage," a Berkeley deputy said. "They can't cover that
up." But cookers try, sometimes burning tires or trash nearby in an
attempt to mask the smell.

The costs associated with combating meth also can go much higher than
other types of drug cases. Meth houses must be cleaned of the
dangerous chemicals used to make the drug and cleared by health
officials before anyone can move back in. That's especially troubling
for apartment owners and hotels whenever their rooms are turned into
impromptu lab sites.

Cars seized in busts are practically worthless as well, because of the
contamination. Even prosecuting a meth case is different than another
type of drug case since everything associated with a meth lab is a
health hazard that has to be destroyed. For evidence, prosecutors have
to use written accounts and photographs.

"Meth costs are phenomenal, and you get nothing in return," an agent
said.

The human cost is just as bad. Repeat offenders are not as common
locally as is seen in other parts of the U.S. where meth has been
entrenched for years.

"They don't care," an officer said. "Meth makes them not care at all
about their kids." Charges of exposing a child to the sale or
manufacturing of methamphetamine can carry a no-probation sentence.

DeWitt said education has been a major part of his combat strategy,
primarily informing citizen groups what to look for when they suspect
a meth operation nearby.

One Berkeley agent predicted there will be no slowdown of local cases
this year, whether they're found deep in the woods, in vehicles, hotel
rooms or otherwise quiet neighborhoods.

"It's a nationwide problem that has to be confronted," a lead meth
team officer said. "We have to get smarter because they keep getting
smarter."