A
rolling meth lab is a transportable laboratory
used for the illegal production of
methamphetamine. Rolling meth labs are often
readily moved to a secluded location to be unpacked to synthesize
the drug, such as in a public park, or sometimes set up to render
the drug while the lab is traveling in a vehicle. This is done to
avoid detection when the methamphetamine is being manufactured as
strong toxic fumes are given off from the process, which could
easily be detected in a residential area. Also, the toxic waste
that remains after the synthesis of the drug can be dumped along
the roadside or discarded in a forested area.
Transportation hazard
The process of "cooking" methamphetamine can be dangerous. The
various chemicals often used are not only poisonous, but also
flammable and explosive. In November 2001, a rolling meth lab
carrying
anhydrous ammonia
exploded on
Interstate 24
in southwest Kentucky. This prompted law enforcement to shut down
the freeway, which backed up for miles. Such accidents have not
only injured the meth producers, but have injured innocent
motorists passing by and police officers who have been exposed to
the dangerous fumes.
Toxic effects and dangerous remnants
As with a home lab, the remaining fumes from a crude moving
methamphetamine lab can be extremely toxic. The surfaces of the
vehicle's interior can be coated or impregnated with the poisonous
residue, rendering a vehicle virtually worthless. Vehicles stolen
for the single purpose of manufacture of the drug are most often
considered
contaminated and unusable:
Exposure to the by-products of the chemical reaction remaining in
the vehicle is frequently too dangerous. A further complication is
that the "cooking" methods for meth frequently change, so the
proper remediation for a given lab site cannot be assumed from
previous known lab methods. Law enforcement
Hazmat teams assigned to dispose of the toxic
materials must use caution and receive training on a regular
basis.
Law enforcement and detection
Rolling meth labs can be concealed on or in vehicles as large as
18 wheelers, or transported on
something as small as a
motorcycle. These
labs are more difficult to detect than stationary ones, and can be
often hidden among legal cargo on big trucks. Many recent rolling
lab discoveries were the result of an officer just "stumbling" onto
them. Improved officer training and the use of police K-9 units for
checking suspicious vehicles may allow increased detection.
See also
References
- Staff writer." Methamphetamine, meth-lab assessment and clean-up."
Forensic Applications Consulting Technologies Inc.
Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- Staff writer." Methamphetamine and Related Crime: The Impacts of
Methamphetamine Abuse." (PDF) Northwest Washington Office
of National Drug Control Policy. Published March 2006.
Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- Staff writer." Alleged Rolling Meth Lab Closes Local Ohio
Interstate For Hours." Drug Rehabs.org. Published
November 11, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- Bootie Cosgrove-Mather." Rolling Meth Labs In Vogue – Methamphetamine Makers
Turn Vehicles Into Rolling Drug Labs." CBS News. Published July 17,
2002. Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- Staff writer." Meth Lab Explosion on I-10 Injures Four."
WAFB. Published April
29, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- Joy Howe." “Moving Meth Lab” Rolls Out New Problems."
WJBF. Published
November 11, 2008. Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- Kathy Helms-Hughes." Merchants called on to help stamp out meth
labs." Elizabethton Star Online. Archives. Retrieved
on 2009-02-14.
- Staff writer." Woman's Car Stolen, Used As Rolling Meth Lab."
TheDenverChannel.com. Published November 10, 2006.
Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
- MDH-MPCA." Clandestine Drug Lab General Cleanup Guidance."
(PDF) Minnesota Department of Health & Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency. January 1, 2006 Version. Retrieved on
2009-02-14.
- Jerry Manter." Police discover 'rolling meth lab' after possible DUI
traffic stop." 2NEWSTV.com. Created April 2, 2008.
Retrieved on 2009-02-14.
External links
- College of Agriculture
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