CLINTON, JACKSON LEAD Q-C REGION IN METH LAB SEIZURES

The tubing, bottles, acid and empty pseudoephedrine packages found during
the search of a house in Clinton, Iowa, were enough to make as many as 420
doses, or "hits" of methamphetamine.

Four months later, one of the men making meth at the house was driving a
car filled with fuel, batteries, acid and coffee filters when he was pulled
over. That time, there were enough ingredients in the car to make 255 hits
of meth, as the illegal substance is known.

Michael Holcomb, the driver of the car, will be spending the next 11 years
in federal prison for manufacturing a drug that has been quickly growing in
popularity around Iowa. Holcomb, who was sentenced in March, also pleaded
guilty to creating a substantial risk of harm to human life for having the
meth lab at his house and the materials in his car.

The Holcomb case was just one of 34 investigations the Blackhawk Area Task
Force carried out in 2001, up from 18 in 2000, said Sgt. Joe Payette, the
task force commander.

He expects the number of 2002 investigations this year to total much more
than 34. Since the beginning of this year, his agencies have investigated
14 meth cases in Clinton County, Iowa, and Jo Daviess, Carroll, Ogle,
Whiteside, Lee and Henry counties in Illinois.

"This is a drug that the components are easily obtainable," he said.
"Whether it is by thievery, or they go in and buy the components, it's
relatively easy to make."

Pseudoephedrine, for example, is commonly found in nasal decongestants.

Clinton and Jackson counties have had the largest number of meth lab
seizures in the Iowa Quad-City region since the beginning of 2001,
according to statistics from the Iowa Department of Public Safety. Fifteen
labs were seized in Clinton County and 17 in Jackson County during that time.

Just north of Jackson County, though, 43 meth labs were seized in Dubuque
County, the fourth-highest number in the state.

Mike Dasso, the director of the Bear Creek Narcotics Task Force, said meth
usage increased dramatically in 1998 for the Iowa area the task force
covers: Jones, Jackson and Cedar counties.

It leveled off a bit and has recently started increasing again, he said.

"We've seen the number of cases go back up," he added, referring to a trend
that follows the statewide numbers.

Statewide, the amount of meth seized increased from 72 pounds in 1996 and
115 pounds in 1997 to 155 pounds in 1998. The seizure amount dropped to 87
pounds in 2000, but then increased dramatically to 161 last year, according
to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Authorities seized 63 labs statewide in 1997, officials said. The number
jumped to 320 in 1998 and 764 in 2001. So far this year, 168 labs have been
seized.

Statistics from the Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, or MEG, show
that while cocaine, crack and marijuana remain at the top of the list of
drugs seized, meth arrests are rising.

Twenty-nine people were arrested by MEG on meth-related charges in 2001, up
from 18 in 2000. MEG confiscated 485 grams of meth last year compared with
337 in 2000.

Clinton County accounts for 39 percent of the meth arrests made by the
Blackhawk Area Drug Task Force since 1999, Payette said.

In 2001, nine of 21 task force arrests were in Clinton County. So far this
year, four of its seven arrests took place there.

"There is an increasing number of people choosing to use this drug," he said.