KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Police busted two home meth labs Monday. Officers have four people in custody.
On the 5000 block of Belmeade, Jeannette Clay suspected there were problems next door. However, until police showed up, she had no idea how significant the problems were.
“I try not to judge people based on their movements and what they do, but sometimes, things don’t seem absolutely right,” Clay said. “I never suspected anything of the enormity right next door to me.”
Detectives seizing a stolen truck, trailer and other stolen goods, discovered explosive chemicals. Police said it is part of a home meth lab.
“There seems to be kind of resurgence in the mom and pops labs,” said Sergeant Tim Witcig of the Kansas City Police Metro Meth Task Force. “Any steps that we take to combat whatever it is that they’re doing, they come back and they find a way around it.”
Witcig’s team of Kansas City officers cleaned two meth labs Monday. He said federal crackdowns on methamphetamine imported from Mexico are creating new local manufacturers. Police said they are finding ways around laws restricting pseudoephedrine sales using a technique called smurfing.
“They are hiring other people with good IDs who can come in and buy pseudoephedrine for them,” Witcig said.
Police said they are handling the problem. Monday night, the police task force's efforts left relieved neighbors with two words.
“Thank God,” Clay said.
