|
|
|
A late morning complaint call resulted in the discovery of two alleged meth labs on Post Oak Road in north Sulphur on Tuesday.
According to Sulphur Police spokesman Mel Estess, Officer Glenn Martin was investigating a complaint in the area when he noticed an open front door at an abandoned mobile home located in the 400 block of Post Oak Road between Archie Road and East Burton Street. Upon his investigation at the site, the officer discovered what appeared to be a clandestine or meth lab in the unoccupied home.
Continuing the investigation, SPD Narcotics Division detectives were granted permission to enter into the mobile home next door - to the north - of the abandoned trailer. Officers then discovered a second meth lab in that home, which was occupied at the time of the investigation.
“We found items consistent with the lab next door to the extent that we believe the two may be connected,” said Estess.
Both sites are classified as red phosphorus or Red P labs. Commonly found in safety matches, flares, smoke bombs and the like, red phosphorus is combined with iodine to make hydriodic acid, which, in turn, is used to reduce the precursor (ephedrine or pseudoephedrine) to meth. The method also uses other hazardous, and flammable, chemicals and has the potential to produce very toxic phosphine gas.
“A Red P lab is more explosive than a regular clandestine lab,” said Estess.
“This could have been dangerous situation had we not found them.”
No evacuation of either site was called or needed before or during the cleanup, stated Estess. Miller Environmental Services was at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing and two arrests have been made with others pending. No further information on the arrests were released Tuesday.
Estess states that the two labs are the largest and most dangerous located in Sulphur this year.
A late morning complaint call resulted in the discovery of two alleged meth labs on Post Oak Road in north Sulphur on Tuesday.
According to Sulphur Police spokesman Mel Estess, Officer Glenn Martin was investigating a complaint in the area when he noticed an open front door at an abandoned mobile home located in the 400 block of Post Oak Road between Archie Road and East Burton Street. Upon his investigation at the site, the officer discovered what appeared to be a clandestine or meth lab in the unoccupied home.
Continuing the investigation, SPD Narcotics Division detectives were granted permission to enter into the mobile home next door - to the north - of the abandoned trailer. Officers then discovered a second meth lab in that home, which was occupied at the time of the investigation.
“We found items consistent with the lab next door to the extent that we believe the two may be connected,” said Estess.
Both sites are classified as red phosphorus or Red P labs. Commonly found in safety matches, flares, smoke bombs and the like, red phosphorus is combined with iodine to make hydriodic acid, which, in turn, is used to reduce the precursor (ephedrine or pseudoephedrine) to meth. The method also uses other hazardous, and flammable, chemicals and has the potential to produce very toxic phosphine gas.
“A Red P lab is more explosive than a regular clandestine lab,” said Estess.
“This could have been dangerous situation had we not found them.”
No evacuation of either site was called or needed before or during the cleanup, stated Estess. Miller Environmental Services was at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing and two arrests have been made with others pending. No further information on the arrests were released Tuesday.
Estess states that the two labs are the largest and most dangerous located in Sulphur this year.
