From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A rolling meth lab is a transportable
laboratory used for the illegal production of methamphetamine.[1]
Rolling meth labs are often readily moved to a secluded location to
be unpacked to synthesize the drug, such as in a public park,[2]
or sometimes set up to render the drug while the lab is traveling
in a vehicle.[3]
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.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Vehicles stolen for the single purpose of manufacture of the drug
are most often considered contaminated and
unusable:[7]
Exposure to the by-products of the chemical reaction remaining in
the vehicle is frequently too dangerous.[8]
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.[9] 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.[4]
Many recent rolling lab discoveries were the result of an officer
just "stumbling" onto them.[6]
Improved officer training and the use of police K-9 units for
checking suspicious vehicles may allow increased detection.[10]
See also
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