Potentially dangerous backpack found in Mountain Rest

 

The discovery in Mountain Rest of a backpack that contained items that had the potential to be used for a methamphetamine lab, according to the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, is a reminder to everyone to be cautious if you find something that looks suspicious.  A Forest Service law enforcement officer told a county narcotics office on Friday of a possible meth lab down a Rich Mountain Road.  No meth lab was found.  Even though the number of meth labs dismantled is dropping, Oconeeans are being told to not let their guard down and think that shake and bake-style labs have totally gone away.  “The reductions in the shake and bake style labs can be traced to a series of factors, including restrictions on the amount of pseudoephedrine that individuals can buy to the improved quality, more economical and efficient production and availability of methamphetamine that is trafficked into the country from places such as Mexico with the cartels there,” says Jimmy Watt, Public Information Officer from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.  “We have issued three previous press releases, on February 28th and October 15th of 2013 and March 2nd, 2015, regarding the dangers these labs present and/or the actual discovery of shake and bake labs and how to protect yourself and your family.  We continue to be proactive in reporting this information as this does pose a public safety risk to everyone when they are discovered.  Also, we continue to see individuals attempting to purchase Pseudoephedrine above the legal limit of what is allowed by law and we did make arrests for such charges in the last Operation Infinity drug sweep that we conducted.”  Shake and bake meth labs are produced in two-liter drink bottles and then once the methamphetamine is produced and extracted, the bottles and their contents are disposed of.  Even though the meth has been produced, the products that remain in the bottles pose a health and safety risk. The Sheriff’s Office offers these tips should you discover a two-liter bottle and/or a back pack and the contents appear to be suspicious:

 

·      If you do find a two-liter bottle and/or a back pack and the contents appear to be suspicious, do not pick up or tamper with the items.  Move as far away from it as you can.  The bottles could have what appears to be a substance that looks like sand in the bottom of the bottle.  Also, do not tamper with other items, such as syringes, if you discover those as well.

·      On a rainy day or a day in which there is a lot of moisture in the air, opening a back pack or bottle that contains either a meth lab and/or items that could be used in a shake and bake style lab could cause the contents to explode once they come in contact with the moisture.

·      Never open and breath in the contents of these labs as doing so could expose you to products that could cause severe health problems and could potentially put your life at risk.  For example, breathing in the contents of a meth lab could cause severe internal burning.

·      Once you back away, immediately call 911 and provide as much information as you can about what was discovered and where it was discovered.  Law enforcement personnel are trained to safely remove any labs and/or back packs that have been discovered.