Meth Labs Decreasing, But Ice Is Taking OverDale DeWoody
April 10, 2006
TIMES RECORD
www.swtimes.com/articles/2006/04/10/news/news04.txtThe number of methamphetamine labs in the area has decreased dramatically over the past few years, but the decline has little to do with legislation that went into effect last year, officials said.
In March 2005, Arkansas passed Act 256, which removed medications containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth, from store shelves. But the decline started earlier.
“Our lab numbers had already dropped over 50 percent a year before the law was passed,” said Sgt. George Lawson, narcotics officer for the Fort Smith Police Department.
In 2003 there were 70 meth labs investigated by the Fort Smith police, according to records. The number dropped to 32 labs in 2004, and to just seven labs in 2005.
Lawson said the reason for the decrease in meth labs is the increase in crystal meth, or “ice,” that is being brought in from other areas.
Investigator Lanny Reese of the 12th/21st Judicial Drug Task Force agrees.
“The meth labs are being shut down because of the import of ice from Mexico,” he said.The area is being flooded with the purer form of crystallized meth, made in super labs in Mexico and states like California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, said investigator Anthony Sacco with the drug task force.Meth labs in the area usually make small amounts of meth in powder form for the makers’ own use, said Sacco.
Buying large amounts of ice to sell is much safer and easier than trying to manufacture meth, and the penalty for selling is generally less than the sentence for manufacturing.
Lawson said those sentenced for manufacturing meth must serve a minimum of 50 percent of the sentence, but those convicted of selling meth may serve just one-sixth of the sentence.
This encourages meth dealers to buy imported meth instead of trying to manufacture their own, said Lawson.
Another problem is with illegal immigrants who bring the meth to the area, authorities said. “At least 75 percent of the meth dealers we arrest are illegal (immigrants),” Lawson said.(this guy must be a racist, heh)They get paid a lot of money to deliver the meth here, and when they get arrested they are often deported, he said.
After they are deported, they sometimes come back again.
Lawson said that an illegal immigrant was arrested with meth in Fort Smith and was deported. Within one week, police arrested the same man in Fort Smith with meth again.
“Until we put a stop to the ice being imported, we’ll continue to have a problem,” said Reese.
The demand for meth is great, which makes it more difficult to stop.
“It’s a lucrative business,” said Sacco.
A dealer can buy a pound of ice for around $10,000. It can then be cut up and sold in small quantities to make around $40,000, said Sacco. That is a $30,000 profit.
As larger quantities are brought in, investigative tactics have to be changed.
“We have to spend more money to buy from bigger dealers to get evidence against them,” said Lawson.
The larger quantities also mean more investigators are needed to help slow the problem.
Sacco said that most drug task force investigators work a lot of extra hours and are on call 24 hours a day.
“We can always use more funding and more staff members,” he said.
Lawson, Reese and Sacco say the new law may have had some effect on the number of meth labs in Arkansas, but the meth problem is far bigger than the law.
“Meth is the biggest problem we face. It’s everywhere,” Sacco said.