LISA MARCHESONI, Senior Writer
Posted: Sunday, January 10, 2010 8:05 am

Officer Mick Rea walks near a car where an active meth lab was cooking on Northwest Broad Street's Shell station.

One new form of manufacturing illegal methamphetamine was confiscated inside a car parked near gas pumps New Year’s Day on Northwest Broad Street.

Officers Tim Meeks and KeeSha Harding found Nathan Edwin Beasley, 31, of Old Nashville Highway passed out behind the wheel of his car.

Beasley appeared dazed and confused. He was sweating and his face was flushed. He was treated at Middle Tennessee Medical Center.

Police found a two-liter bottle with a substance boiling inside. Containers and other items used to make methamphetamine were found at the back of the car. Officers closed the gas pumps and sealed off the site until the hazardous materials were cleared.

After being released from the medical center, officers charged Beasley with imitation of methamphetamine manufacturing process, reckless endangerment, DUI and driving on a suspended license.

Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Haynes said Interstate Crime Enforcement unit said another one pot mobile lab was found in an Indiana man’s car last week while he drove through Rutherford County.

“It takes less ephedrine to make,” Haynes cited as the reason for its popularity.

Director Tommy Farmer of the Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force said homemade methamphetamine production dropped a few years ago when Tennessee law made it tougher to buy ephedrine, a cold medicine ingredient required to make the illegal drug.

But meth producers adapted a simpler way to make the highly addictive drug in a two-liter soft drink bottle, termed the “one pot shake and bake” method, he said.

“This is probably better identified as a bomb,” Farmer said, explaining the combination of ingredients build up pressure and can result in a violent reaction.

“Fifty percent will fail and erupt in fire and an explosion,” Farmer said.

Meth became a popular drug because it can be manufactured with common household products, the “high” is more powerful and lasts longer than most drugs, reported the task force Web site www.rid-meth.org. Meth has also been heavily marketed by major drug trafficking organizations and the addictive qualities of meth are among the strongest of any known drug. In the late 1990’s Tennessee became one of the largest producers of clandestine meth labs in the country.

Murfreesboro Police Vice Lt. Eric Cook said the federal Drug Enforcement Administration confiscated some of the devices in Murfreesboro.

As of yet, Rutherford County narcotics Detective Lt. Egon Grissom said only a few of the illegal “one pot” manufacturing devices have been found in Rutherford County.

“Meth is still very rare around here, which is a good thing,” Grissom said.

Detective Jason Mathis said the producers make the illegal drug in one container.

But Warren County Sheriff’s detectives investigated about five cases recently, with about 75 percent of the manufacturers in that county driving to Murfreesboro to purchase the supplies.

Farmer said the “one pot” method uses a two-liter plastic bottle or a sports drink bottle to combine the ephedrine, lithium batteries, ammonia nitrate from fertilizers (used in the Oklahoma City bombing) and household chemicals.

“These household chemicals are not intended to be mixed,” Farmer said. “When mixed, you have a caustic and explosive atmosphere.”

The manufacturing process may affect innocent people if the producer is driving with the chemical inside a vehicle and it explodes, blowing the chemicals on passengers and possibly causing a fire.

Combating the drug

Task force members targeted three areas for the fight against meth:

• Law enforcement officers statewide undergo specialized training about meth production. About 57 officers just completed a training class with 150 more on the waiting list.

• School students learn about the dangers of meth through classes.

• The task force encourages people and merchants will give information to law enforcement officers or tips on the Web site.

For example, if someone spots a two-liter or 16-ounce plastic bottle that appears suspicious, they might want to notify law enforcement.

Bottles confiscated in Warren County appeared to contain layers of a wide sludge, black strips of lithium metal, a dough-type substance and a clear liquid.

Warren County investigators said residents drive to Murfreesboro and go store to store buying the most ephedrine they can legally purchase.

In an investigation two weeks ago, Warren County detectives learned one suspect purchased ephedrine while a second suspect purchased Red Devil lye, Coleman lantern fuel, duct tape and a plastic storage tote from a national retail store in Murfreesboro. The combination of those ingredients used to make meth would have been enough to charge the suspects if the store employees had notified police.

Cook said many merchants become suspicious when they observe shoppers buying ephedrine along with the ingredients to make meth, including Muriatic acid, Heet or cases of matches.

The merchants will notify the vice detectives who will follow the suspects to determine what they are buying.

“We’ve arrested people the last few months coming here and buying all the precursors,” Cook said.

They’ve found many of the suspects are serving as runners to buy the materials for the cook.

“When they bring it back, the cook cooks it and they get paid in drugs,” Cook said.

Vice detectives also receive calls from hotel and motel employees who become suspicious when they smell the strong aroma of ammonia. They find cooks will sometimes rent a motel room to cook the illegal drug.

Merchants who have information about shoppers buying the ingredients or people who have information about meth producers may call Murfreesboro vice detectives for incidents in the city at 849-2652 or the sheriff’s Narcotics Division at 895-3609.

People may also call the TBI at 744-4000 or the meth hotline at 877-TNN-METH.

Farmer said Tennessee is aggressively investigating meth complaints by working with law enforcement, child protective services workers who learn about children being abused by exposure to meth production, social services, sanitation workers and retail employees.

Once an arrest is made, the cases are prosecuted either on the state or federal level.

Meth abusers are being incarcerated and treated before being released.

People are tired of dealing with the meth abusers.

“If you cook it, we’ll come,” Farmer vowed. “We will hunt you down. Stop it or we’re going to stop it for you.”

Lisa Marchesoni may be reached at 869-0814 or at lmarchesoni@murfreesboropost.com.