METH INVESTIGATION YIELDS 81 ARRESTS

TAMPA -- An 11-month investigation into methamphetamine production has
resulted in the arrest of 81 people and the seizure of $700,000 in
drugs, 21 firearms and a house in Plant City.

The investigation, called "Operation Rush," was a combined effort by
sheriff's officials in Hillsborough and Polk counties, the Drug
Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. According
to Hillsborough County sheriff's Col. Jose Docobo, authorities
targeted the trafficking, manufacturing and possession of meth, also
known as "crank" or "ice."

Investigators seized 16 pounds of meth, 3,000 pills of MDMA (a related
drug) and almost $300,000 in cash. They recovered 21 weapons and
homemade silencers. Several vehicles and a three-bedroom home that was
used in the manufacture of drugs were also seized, Docobo said Thursday.

Authorities launched the investigation after seeing a rise in the meth
trade, he said.

"Because methamphetamine is unfortunately a fairly easy drug to
produce using readily available chemicals, we felt that one of the
reasons for the increase that we were seeing in the availability of
the drug was the possibility that it was being manufactured locally,"
Docobo said. The investigation resulted in the closure of about five
labs, he said, which addressed a problem often overlooked: the
handling and disposing of dangerous chemicals.

The manufacture of methamphetamine requires hazardous materials,
Docobo said. Often, the drug producers mishandle the toxic chemicals
and dump them in the trash, into the drains and the soil.

While Operation Rush has made a dent in the local meth trade, "We're
certainly not naive enough to think that it eliminated the problem,"
Docobo said.