Meth lab cave near Junction City reveals "old school" approach to production
NEAR JUNCTION CITY - Local narcotics agents made a bizarre discovery. They say a meth lab found in a man made cave reveals drug producers are now taking some extreme measures to manufacture the highly addictive drug.
Detectives with Lane County's Inter-agency Narcotics Enforcement team say federal regulation of a key ingredient in meth is now forcing producers to make the substance with other dangerous chemicals.
Earlier this week, members of INET and the DEA found a cave just west of Junction City. Thursday, authorities began to clean the man made hole used to house a meth lab.
Inside, they found the substance known as Phenylacetone or P2P. Detectives say producers are using the chemical to replace pseudo-ephedrine.
"Well this is definitely something we're going to have to keep any eye on from a law enforcement perspective. This just goes to show the importance of having a local narcotics team who's able to follow these trends," Sgt. Clint Riley with the Lane County Sheriff's Office.
Members of INET describe the find as an "old-school" way to make meth. That's because producers used the substance during the 60's and 70's.
The Bureau of Land Management will need to get a clean-up crew out to the site of the meth lab within the coming days. Authorities fear the person responsible for the dump may have contaminated the area land and groundwater.
INET says they knew about the meth site for two years, but had a tough time locating it until now.
Detectives with Lane County's Inter-agency Narcotics Enforcement team say federal regulation of a key ingredient in meth is now forcing producers to make the substance with other dangerous chemicals.
Earlier this week, members of INET and the DEA found a cave just west of Junction City. Thursday, authorities began to clean the man made hole used to house a meth lab.
Inside, they found the substance known as Phenylacetone or P2P. Detectives say producers are using the chemical to replace pseudo-ephedrine.
"Well this is definitely something we're going to have to keep any eye on from a law enforcement perspective. This just goes to show the importance of having a local narcotics team who's able to follow these trends," Sgt. Clint Riley with the Lane County Sheriff's Office.
Members of INET describe the find as an "old-school" way to make meth. That's because producers used the substance during the 60's and 70's.
The Bureau of Land Management will need to get a clean-up crew out to the site of the meth lab within the coming days. Authorities fear the person responsible for the dump may have contaminated the area land and groundwater.
INET says they knew about the meth site for two years, but had a tough time locating it until now.
