LAWSUIT SEEKS TO CUT METH INGREDIENT SUPPLY

Oklahoma's top law enforcement officials are turning to the state's civil
court system in an attempt to stem the state's methamphetamine problem.
Malcom Atwood, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous
Drugs Control, and Attorney General Drew Edmondson on Wednesday announced a
civil lawsuit against six Oklahoma County companies and two individuals
alleged to be major suppliers of pseudoephedrine, one of the key
ingredients in the manufacture of meth.

The lawsuit is the first of its kind in Oklahoma and possibly the first
state civil suit in the nation, Edmondson said.

"While the attorney general does not have the direct prosecution authority
of our district attorneys, we can pursue the raw ingredient suppliers for
creating a public nuisance and under the Corrupt Organizations Prevention
Act," he said. "When OBN brought us the evidence against these companies,
we carefully examined the statutes to determine the legal mechanics involved."

The 15-page petition, filed in Oklahoma County District Court, alleges
public nuisance, negligence and civil conspiracy.

The suit names as defendants Beck Services Inc.; Sun Distributing; Stevens
Wholesale; Anna Wholesale; Thinh Quoc Kieu and Snow Kieu doing business as
OK First Stop Inc. and First Stop Wholesale of Oklahoma City; and Moore
Services Inc. of Midwest City.

The Corrupt Organizations Prevention Act is the state's equivalent of the
federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

According to the lawsuit, Beck Services sold more than 5.6 million tablets
of pseudoephedrine during the first seven months of this year, and Moore
Services sold about 1.3 million pills during the same period. The suit
alleges Beck and Moore conspired to split invoices, allowing customers to
buy large amounts of pseudoephedrine.

Kieu, Stevens Wholesale, Anna Wholesale and Moore Services Inc. could not
be reached for comment. Owners at Sun Distributing and Beck Services, Inc.
said they did not want to comment on the lawsuit.

"We are also addressing federal criminal cases," U.S. Attorney Robert
McCampbell said.

Federal law makes it illegal to sell large quantities of pseudoephedrine,
commonly used in cold and allergy medicines, he said. McCampbell has filed
criminal charges against Thinh Quoc Kieu in federal court.

Federal criminal cases are harder to prove, officials said. The burden of
proof in civil court is less. The suit seeks damages to help communities
pay for cleanup of meth lab sites and punitive damages to punish these
defendants and stop other companies from recklessly selling pseudoephedrine.

"About 4,100 methamphetamine labs were seized statewide from 1996 through
June of 2002," Atwood said. "The cost of meth lab-related law enforcement
is about $4 million annually and Oklahoma spends about $3.3 million each
year to clean up these illegal labs."

Oklahoma ranks No. 4 in methamphetamine production. Oklahoma County ranks
No. 1 in the nation in per capita meth production.

William Newell, assistant special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms, said the lawsuit and criminal indictments are an
example of a cooperative effort between agencies.

Republican attorney general candidate Denise Bode, who attended Thursday's
announcement, criticized Edmondson last week for not doing more to combat
the meth problem in Oklahoma.

"Methamphetamine production and meth labs are up 8,000 percent in Oklahoma
versus 300 percent nationally," Bode said. "Over 40 percent of these meth
houses contain children and 60 percent of them test positive for exposure."

Bode said she would work to provide law enforcement with the tools they
need against the fight and push for them to go in and take children from
suspected meth lab sites.

"We have to do much more than what we're doing now," Bode said. "I've been
working on this for nine months. I don't have all the answers, but I would
make this a priority."