Mobile Meth Lab Bust: Breaking Bad Myrtle Beach?
Elissa Jarvis, Lead Reporter Saturday, November 19, 2011
Did you hear about the rolling meth lab bust in North Myrtle Beach on Wednesday? A Tennessee man was arrested after a routine traffic stop in North Myrtle Beach found a mobile meth lab in his truck.
U.S. 17 was closed in both directions for an hour as police investigated and found ingredients to make crystal meth. Mobile meth labs are getting more popular as states have begun cracking down on the sale of Pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine is a drug commonly used in allergy medications, but is also a key ingredient in making meth. Many states (South Carolina and North Carolina included) have begun putting medications containing pseudoephedrine behind the counter and require the customer to show ID to buy. With rolling labs the meth makers can drive to stores in different states to buy the pseudoephedrine to avoid being caught buying large supplies. Rolling labs also allow the makers to dump byproducts in various locations and hide the chemicals smells that permeate from cooking the pseudoephedrine. But the chemicals are very volatile and meth labs often blow up.
Hazmat units were called to the scene on Wednesday and stabilized the chemicals before disposing of them properly. The Tennessee man was arrested charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and is being held in a Horry County Jail. The production and sale of meth has been popularized by AMC’s show Breaking Bad.
Should we be worried about meth labs in Myrtle Beach or is this an isolated indicident?
Photocredit: Evan Lambert, WMBF http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16058209/hazmat-units-on-scene-of-rolling-meth-lab-in-nmb