Dunlap TN meth lab explosion turns up third suspect
December 1, 2008
Juanita Gray has been arrested as the third suspect in the meth lab explosion and fire that occurred near Dunlap, TN over the weekend. Gray has been charged with manufacturing meth and the initiation of a process to manufacture methamphetamine. She has been named as the person who rented the trailer where Read more
Meth lab behavior
November 2, 2008
Homes where meth is being sold exhibit certain behaviors such as:
Visitors
Periods where there are alot of visitors followed by days where there are few visitors. Meth users can be awake for several days and nights. During those “awake” times, meth buyers will frequently visit the home to buy methamphetamine from them. Some of those visitors may bring items to the meth dealer’s home instead of cash. Electronics and tools are popular cash replacements. The meth dealer may signals buyers that he/she has meth for sale by turning on a porch light or doing something else outside of the home to give them a “signal” that they have meth. During the days and nights when the meth dealer is sleeping, traffic to the home will be virtually non-existent.
Visitors may park far away from the house, even though there is parking available in front of the home. They don’t want neighbors or other people that they know to see their car parked in front of a drug dealer’s home.
Vehicles of meth buyers may be driving stolen cars, although that is not always the case. Stolen cars often have their door locks punched out of them. Another sign of a stolen vehicle can be clean license plates that are attached to dirty vehicles.
Behavior of meth users
When someone is high on meth, they will appear very talkative and energetic. Think of a child who’s had way too much sugar. They are also extremely busy during these times and may be involved in several kinds of projects, but they seldom finish any of them. Some meth users may pull apart vehicles and other machinery with the intention of fixing them, but they never complete the repairs. Some meth lab homes have been found with graphiti painted on walls and ceilings.
Meth dealers and heavy meth users don’t have jobs, but they have cash. There aren’t many jobs where you can not show up for 3 or 4 days at a time, so you can sleep. They get cash from selling meth or from stolen property which they can sell for cash.
If the meth user / dealer has children or pets, they are typically neglected. Meth addicts aren’t hungry due to the effects of the drug, so it’s easy for them to forget that their children or family pet(s) haven’t eaten. During the times that the meth using parents crash by sleeping for days at a time, children and animals are often left to fend for themselves. The children and pets may look undernourished and dirty to the neglect of those their adult caretakers. However, children may not be allowed to go outside without a parent or other adult present.
Drug dealers may appear unfriendly to neighbors or may be described as very “private people”.
Appearance of a drug dealing home
There may be security devices, such as security cameras attached to the house, shed, barn, garage, etc. Anyone making and selling meth wants to know who is getting “too close” to finding out about their illegal activity.
More Signs of a Meth Lab by the Tennessee Meth Task Force:
1. Frequent visitors at all times of the day or night
2. Activity at the house is usually at odd hours or late at night
3. Occupants appear unemployed, yet seem to have plenty of money and pay bills with cash
4. Occupants are unfriendly, appear secretive about activities
5. Occupants watch cars suspiciously when they pass by
6. Occupants display a paranoid or odd behavior
7. Extensive security at the home or signs that indicate “Private Property” or “Beware of Dog”, fences, large shrubs, bushes and trees
8. Windows blackened or curtains always drawn
9. Occupants go outside the house to smoke cigarettes
10. Chemical odors coming from the house, garbage or detached buildings
11. Garbage contains numerous bottles, containers
12. Coffee filters, bed sheets or other material stained from filtering red phosphorus or other chemicals
13. Occupant sets his garbage for pick up in another neighbor’s collection area
14. Evidence of chemical or waste dumping (i.e. burn pits, or “dead spots” in the yard)
What does a meth lab smell like ?
November 2, 2008
Odors that result from a “meth cook” have been described as:
Smells like a hospital due to the common use of ethyl ether as an anesthetic. Nasal irritant.
Smells like paint thinners, paint removers, adhesives, and cleaning fluids. Type of odor often found in auto body shops or furniture refinishing shops. Eye and nasal irritant.
Smells like vinegar, mayonnaise, salad dressings, or pickled foods. Eye irritant.
Smells like wet diapers, glass cleaners, cattle feed-lots, or fertilizers. Eye and nasal irritant.
Note: Meth lab homes that have been allowed to air out for some time may not have any detectable odors. The absence of odor in a home does not mean the home is not contaminated.
Source: N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance Program (HSEES)
If you suspect a meth lab
October 20, 2008
If you think that someone is operating a meth lab, eport your suspicions to the police or Sheriff’s office once you are a safe distance away from the lab. Meth labs pose a significant number of safety issues to anyone in their vicinity. If you have entered a meth lab, you should leave as soon as possible.
About meth users:
Hardcore meth users can go for several days without sleep. The lack of sleep and the effect of meth results in hallucinations. They may think that animals are actually people or see people that aren’t there, for example. Once they “crash” and fall asleep, they will often sleep for days, as well.
Paranoia about someone watching them or following them or investigating them is common. They live their lives filled with the fear of getting caught by police or worse - they fear being targeted by someone involved in their meth trade and/or meth trafficking business.
Meth users and meth cooks commonly have weapons inside of their homes and/or in their vehicles or may even have weapons on them. Weapons combined with paranoia and hallucinations makes them extremely dangerous to others.
Meth cooks may surround their homes with explosive devices that may be buried underground. Some of those explosives may be triggered by trip wires. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to encounter them will be either be maimed or killed.
Meth labs are often equipped with alarms and surveillance cameras, as well. They alert meth cooks about others who may be coming too close to discovering their illegal activities.
About meth labs:
Meth labs can explode at any time due to the volatile chemicals they use. Meth lab explosions not only result in fire but they can catapult debris in every direction.
Don’t shut off any electrical supplies. The simple act of turning on an electrical switch may cause an explosion. In an explosive atmosphere even turning on a flashlight might cause an explosion.
Do not shut off the water supply to the house or the chemical reaction.
Do not touch any items including any coolers, containers, boxes, trash bags, or trash cans. Handling meth chemicals and/or meth lab waste residue can burn your skin and eyes. Breathing the gases can cause respiratory damage.
Meth Lab Trash
October 20, 2008
Rags with red and/or yellow stains
Large number of pill blister packaging from over-the-counter cold, diet or allergy remedies
Empty containers from white gas, ether, starting fluids, lye or drain openers, paint thinner, acetone, or alcohol
Compressed gas cylinders, or camp stove (Coleman) fuel containers
Packaging from Epsom salts or rock salt
Propane tanks or coolers containing strong ammonia odors
Pyrex/glass/Corning containers, with dried chemical deposits remaining
Bottles or containers connected with rubber hosing and duct tape
Coolers, thermos bottles, or other cold storage containers
Respiratory masks and filters or dust masks
Funnels, hosing and clamps
Discarded rubber or latex gloves
Coffee filters, pillow cases or bed sheets stained red (used to filter red phosphorous), or containing a white powdery residue
disposable cold paks
multiple bags of fertilizer
Meth Lab Equipment
October 19, 2008
Aluminum foil
Blenders
Bottles (pop, water, milk)
Chemistry glassware
Camp stoves
Cheesecloth
Coffee filters
Cotton balls
Dust Tape
Electric hot plates
Funnels
Garden spray jugs
Gas cans
Hot plates
Jugs
Paper towels
PH test strips
Plastic tubing
Pressure cookers
Propane tanks
Pyrex dishes
Rags
Rubber and latex gloves
Strainers
Thermometers
Thermos bottle
Meth Lab Chemicals
October 19, 2008
“Toxic chemicals can be ingested either by consuming contaminated food or beverages or by inadvertently consuming the chemicals directly. (Young children present at laboratory sites are at particular risk of ingesting chemicals.) Ingesting toxic chemicals—or methamphetamine itself—may result in potentially fatal poisoning, internal chemical burns, damage to organ function, and harm to neurological and immunologic functioning.
In addition, methamphetamine production threatens the environment. The average methamphetamine laboratory produces 5 to 7 pounds of toxic waste for every pound of methamphetamine produced. Operators often dispose of this waste improperly, simply by dumping it near the laboratory. This can cause contamination of the soil and nearby water supplies.
The chemicals used to produce methamphetamine are extremely hazardous. Some are highly volatile and may ignite or explode if mixed or stored improperly. Fire and explosion pose risks not only to the individuals producing the drug but also to anyone in the surrounding area, including children, neighbors, and passersby. Even when fire or explosion does not occur, methamphetamine production is dangerous. Simply being exposed to the toxic chemicals used to produce the drug poses a variety of
health risks, including intoxication, dizziness, nausea, disorientation, lack of coordination, pulmonary edema, serious respiratory problems, severe chemical burns, and damage to internal organs.”
- National Drug Intelligence Center, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Information obtained from the DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Acetone and Alcohol (denatured, isopropyl, rubbing) -”Extremely flammable, posing a fire risk in and around the laboratory. Inhalation or ingestion of these solvents causes severe gastric irritation, narcosis, or coma.”
Anhydrous ammonia or ammonium sulfate (crop fertilizer)- “A colorless gas with a pungent, suffocating odor. Inhalation causes edema of the respiratory tract and asphyxia. Contact with vapors damages eyes and mucous membranes.” -DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Sulfuric acid is an acid found in batteries
Bleach - used for cleaning
Ephedrine or pseudoephedrine - (found in some cold or allergy pills)- “Ingestion of doses greater than 240 mg causes hypertension, arrhythmia, anxiety, dizziness, and vomiting. Ingestion of doses greater than 600 mg can lead to renal failure and seizures.” - DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Freon - “Inhalation can cause sudden cardiac arrest or severe lung damage. It is corrosive if ingested.” - DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Naphtha - (found in Coleman camping fuel)
Sulfuric acid - used in drain cleaner products
Sodium hydroxide used in drain cleaners like Red Devil lye
Methanol or Methyl Alcohol used as a gasoline additive found in the products Heet” or Iso-Heet”
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydriotic Acid - “A corrosive acid with vapors that are irritating to the respiratory system, eyes, and skin. If ingested, causes severe internal irritation and damage that may cause death.” - DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Iodine (crystal or liquid tincture). “Gives off vapor that is irritating to respiratory system and eyes. Solid form irritates the eyes and may burn skin. If ingested, cause severe internal damage.” - DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Phenylpropanolamine - “Ingestion of doses greater than 75 mg causes hypertension, arrhythmia, anxiety, and dizziness. Quantities greater than 300 mg can lead to renal failure, seizures, stroke, and death.”- DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Lithium batteries - “Extremely caustic to all body tissues. Reacts violently with water and poses a fire or explosion hazard.” - DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Red Phosphorous - found on Match book striker plates. Red phosphorus is unstable and flammable and can cause explosions and chemical fires if exposed to a flame or spark.
“Red Phosphorous ignites if heated above 260°C. Vapor from ignited phosphorus severely irritates the nose, throat, lungs, and eyes.” - DEA Office of Diversion Control.
Methyl Choloride - Mineral spirits
Muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) found in driveway and brickand pool cleaners
Salt (table or rock)
Sodium or lithium metal
Organic ether - used in starting fluid
Trichloroethane used as a gun cleaning solvent
Toluene
Information (below) from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, First Responder Awareness training manual
Acetic acid - Flammable; vapor is irritating if inhaled; can cause severe burns to eyes and skin; poisonous if ingested.
Acetic anhydride - Flammable; vapor is irritating if inhaled; liquid may burn eyes and skin severely; ingestion causes irritation, pain and vomiting.
Acetone - Highly flammable; vapor irritates eyes and nose in high concentrations; inhalation may cause dizziness, narcosis or coma; liquid may severely damage eyes; ingestion can cause coma.
Benzyl chloride- Vapor irritates respiratory system, mucous membranes, eyes and skin; liquid can cause burns; poisonous if ingested.
Ephedrine - Harmful if swallowed in large quantities.
Ethyl alcohol - Highly flammable; causes impaired perception and coordination in high concentrations.
Ethyl amine - Vapor irritates the mucous membranes, respiratory system and eyes; may affect the central nervous system in high concentrations; liquid irritates eyes and skin; poisonous if ingested.
Ethyl ether - Highly flammable; inhaling vapor or ingesting liquid may cause drowsiness, dizziness, mental confusion, faintness and, in high concentrations, unconsciousness.
Hydriodic acid - Vapor irritates respiratory system, skin and eyes, liquid causes severe burns to eyes and skin; may cause severe internal irritation and damage if ingested.
Hydrochloric acid - Inhaling may cause coughing, choking and inflammation and ulceration of the respiratory tract; concentrated solutions cause severe burns; strongly corrosive; causes eye irritation; prolonged exposure to vapors can cause death.
Iodine - Vapor irritates respiratory system and eyes; solid form irritates eyes and may burn the skin; poisonous if ingested.
Isopropyl alcohol - Flammable; inhaling vapor in high concentrations or ingesting liquid may cause headaches, dizziness, depression, nausea, vomiting or coma; liquid can cause severe eye damage.
Nitroethane - Vapor irritates eyes and respiratory system; liquid irritates eyes and mucous membranes; absorption via skin contact or ingestion may cause liver and kidney damage.
Petroleum ether - Highly flammable; toxic.
Phenyl-2-propanone - Irritating to skin and eyes.
Phenylacetic acid - Moderately toxic by ingestion; has been linked to cancer in animal experiments; emits smoke and irritating fumes when heated.
Pseudoephedrine - Harmful if swallowed in large quantities; irritating to skin and eyes.
Red phosphorous - Vapors can irritate the nose, throat, lungs and eyes.
Sodium hydroxide - Concentrated material is very corrosive to human tissue; solid form or liquid can cause severe burns to eyes and skin; poisonous if ingested.
Sulfuric acid - Concentrated acid is extremely corrosive to skin; causes severe burns.
Thionyl chloride - Causes burns; irritating to respiratory system if inhaled; may ignite other combustible material.
Toluene - Flammable; can burn or irritate mucous membranes, eyes and respiratory tract; vapors may cause dizziness.
What you should know about meth lab trash
June 30, 2008
Methlab trash contains chemicals that are toxic, flammable, corrosive, and acidic. The chemicals can explode, catch fire, and burn your skin if it comes in contact with them. You should be especially careful not to touch any trash bags that you might see by by the side of the road or a highway.
What you should know about meth lab trash - good information from the Indiana state police Read more
Summer Alert: Propane tanks used to make meth
June 27, 2008
Propane tanks are being used to store anhydrous ammonia.
Meth Lab home clues that you should know
November 30, 2007
Meth labs can be set up just about anywhere. They’ve been found in cars, trailers, homes, hotel rooms, and outdoors. Increasingly, meth cooks are using a technique known as the “one-pot” method which doesn’t require a heat source. When you’re shopping for a new home or looking for a new apartment, be on the alert for signs of a meth lab.
Here are some signs that you should look for: Read more