Technology isn’t lost on the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The day of “labs” containing all sorts of glass vessels and apparatus are a thing of the past, said Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy.
“Then, purity level was lucky to be better than 30 or 40 percent,” and detection was a little easier because cumbersome preparation and acquisition of material helped officers uncover those “cooking” the illegal drug.
Now, with few local labs, what is made is of much better quality with purity rates of 90 percent or better.
“They call it one-pot, or shake and bake,” because one small container, such as plastic beverage bottle, is used, he said. “All the ingredients are placed in the bottle and agitated.”
Too much pressure can result in an explosion, particularly since lithium, an ingredient, turns volatile when it comes in contact with water.
“It’s crazy bad,” Murphy said of the brewing process.
Iola Chief of Police Jared Warner recalled a bust in east Iola, where a meth cook was interrupted.
Several bottles of the complete process were found in the house. Adding anxiety for officers were several children were in the house.
The finished product is called ice, Murphy said, because it resembles broken safety glass.
LOCAL MANUFACTURE largely has fallen by the wayside.
“We were fourth in the state (among counties) in 2000 for lab seizures,” Murphy said. “Now, we have next to none. Last year we may have found four, and all were the one-pot type.”
But that doesn’t mean the problem has gone away.
“Meth is the drug of choice locally,” Murphy said, although “marijuana is making a comeback.”
So, where do locals go to get a fix?
“Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, the metro areas,” he observed. “That’s where the big dealers are.”
