REGIONAL METH USE IS RISING

Seizures Increase Across Richmond, Columbia Counties

Patrick Clayton sees more and more people ''chasing the dragon." The Drug
Enforcement Administration special agent has watched methamphetamine
seizures increase in recent years in Richmond and Columbia counties,
narcotics officials said.

Meth is highly addictive - producing a high that is not as intense as
cocaine but that lasts longer, Special Agent Clayton said.

''Meth lasts about four to six hours, and cocaine lasts a half hour," he
said. ''When you get off it, the withdrawal is the opposite of the stimulant
- - you get very depressed.

''This causes a bad cycle because people are trying to get the same high
they got the first time. We call it 'chasing the dragon."'

Local narcotics officers, in conjunction with the DEA, have reported 55
arrests this year involving the possession, trafficking and manufacturing of
methamphetamines in Richmond County. Last year, they recorded 35 arrests on
such charges. Local seizures have included five meth-producing laboratories
in the past year.

On Thursday, members of the DEA and the Richmond County Sheriff's Office
arrested four people in connection with a meth lab in Hephzibah and seized
meth-making materials, including a portable lab that was found in a
suspect's car.

''We've had an increase, but it was probably at the expense of some
marijuana and cocaine cases," said Allan Rollins, an investigator with the
Richmond County Sheriff's Narcotics Office. ''They all kind of run hand in
hand. A true dealer will deal in anything that makes him money." Officers in
Columbia County, also working with the DEA, identified one lab in 2001, and
charged 10 people with possession, manufacturing and trafficking of meth.
The department did not shut down any labs last year, but made 15 arrests
related to possession and trafficking.

''It is a problem, and the use of that drug remains steady in our
community," said Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris.

Since October 2000, the DEA has shut down three labs in Columbia County, one
in Warren County and one in Dublin, according to Special Agent Clayton.
Agents arrested 10 people in those seizures on possession, manufacturing,
trafficking and conspiracies charges, he said.

''Atlanta is the source for meth because traffickers are importing it in
from Mexico," he said. ''We are on the routes, and when the sources are cut
off or they are charging too much, the dealers decide to make it themselves.

''You can take $300 worth of chemicals, cook an ounce and have 1,200 bucks."

Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth, is easy to make, Investigator
Rollins said. The main ingredient is a stimulant called ephedrine that can
be found in most cold medications, he said.

The manufacturing process involves the use of chemicals to convert the
stimulant into a powder. The substance can then be injected, snorted or
mixed into liquids, Investigator Rollins said.

Meth labs come in various forms, from small kitchen labs to large facilities
often found in rural areas.

''The process for making methamphetamine is highly explosive," Investigator
Rollins said. ''You're mixing some pretty dangerous chemicals."

Another synthetic drug similar to meth is Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, which
is produced in a pill form. Excluding marijuana, Ecstasy is the drug of
choice for teen-agers, and authorities are seeing a rise in its use,
Investigator Rollins said.

Narcotics officers arrested three men Sept. 18 at a hotel on Washington Road
with 1,700 Ecstasy pills. They were charged with possession of Ecstasy with
intent to distribute.

''That was a record seizure for us," Investigator Rollins said. ''At one
time, we got five pills in a year, and now it's not unusual to get anywhere
from five to 100 pills at a time."

METH CRIMES

The following is a list of methamphetamine arrests and seizures in Richmond
County in the past five years. Police have confiscated, on average, half an
ounce to one ounce of meth during each seizure.

Possession of meth - 29

Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 3

Trafficking of meth (more than 28 grams) - 8

Manufacturing of meth - 8

Conspiracy meth charges - 7

Total: 55 arrests and seizures

Possession of meth - 19

Possession with intent to distribute - 3

Trafficking of meth - 6

Manufacturing of meth - 1

Conspiracy meth charges - 6

Total: 35 arrests and seizures

Record seizure: Narcotics officers confiscated two pounds of meth from a
house on Wrightsboro Road in February 2000.

Possession of meth - 13

Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 3

Trafficking of meth - 2

Sale of meth - 1

Total: 19 arrests and seizures

Possession of meth - 9

Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 19

Sale of meth - 3

Trafficking of meth - 2

Manufacturing of meth - 1

Total: 34 arrests and seizures

Possession of meth - 27

Possession of meth with intent to distribute - 10

Sale of meth - 1

Trafficking of meth - 5

Total: 43 arrests and seizures; this was a record year for meth seizures
mainly because of intelligence received about meth labs.

METH LABS

Telltale signs of a methamphetamine lab include:

Glassware - Meth labs have odd-shaped bottles and glasses in which the
methamphetamine is cooked.

Chemical fumes - Because meth labs need ventilation, odors from chemicals
used as catalysts, such as iodine, ether and phosphorus, will be in the air.

Location - Meth manufacturers need an open field with ventilation to make
their product. These shelters can be tents, garages and sheds.

Chemicals - Any odd chemicals such as iodine, red phosphorus, ether,
ephedrine and anhydrous ammonia can be used.