DRUG SEIZURES RISE SHARPLY

Law enforcement in Tallapoosa County saw an increase in the amount
seized of two popular drugs in 2010.

According to numbers released by Sheriff Jimmy Abbett, the amount of
marijuana seized by narcotics agents in 2010 increased to 10,631 grams
compared with only 2,058 grams seized in 2009.

The amount of methamphetamine seized also increased from 32 grams in
2009 to 597 grams in 2010, according to the report.

Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force Coordinator Sgt. Jay Turner
said the production of methamphetamine in the county has "exploded"
due to a simplification of the process by which the drug is created.

"One-pot or 'shake and bake' meth labs make it easy for individuals to
create just what they need," Turner said.

Turner said, excluding pseudoephedrine, the ingredients for these
smaller scale labs, like ammonia nitrate, can be found in everyday
household items and are easy to come by. The only way law enforcement
can stay on top of this problem is by reminding retailers to be aware.

The increase in the seizure of marijuana can be attributed, in large
part, to the seizure of the drug being shipped through the mail,
according to Turner. He said the policing of this sort of narcotics
trafficking falls on the couriers. He said parcel services, such as
FedEx use dogs to find narcotics in packages.

"This year we've seen a lot more mail interdiction," Turner
said.

The county did see a decrease in the seizure of powder cocaine and
crack cocaine in 2010. Last year the task force seized only 17 grams
of powder cocaine compared to 163 grams in 2009. They seized 86 grams
of crack cocaine in 2010 compared to 249 grams the previous year.

Turner said a big reason for the decrease in cocaine seizure is a
shift in the county from cocaine users to meth users.