CALIFORNIA: More and more meth labs are popping up in the Upstate and they could be harming your community.
Two dozen people were arrested in Anderson County recently for making and selling meth in an ongoing investigation. There have been 40 charges total.
“It can be extremely hazardous for people who innocently may come upon it and not know what it is,” said Lt. David Baker with the Narcotics Unit.
The suspects were arrested after the drug unit used search warrants to seize more than a dozen meth labs from homes across the county, and Lt. Baker with the sheriff’s office narcotic unit says they’re not done yet.
They plan on making many more arrests and finding more meth labs to clear out of unknowing communities. He says the problem continues to grow each year in the upstate.
Deputies from Spartanburg and Greenville counties tell 7 On Your Side they agree.
Experts say meth labs are not only harmful to the people using them. They can drop property value.. And can be dangerous to your health if you get too close. “Even when we go in as law enforcement to handle and dismantle those things, we have to wear proper safety gear,” added Lt. Baker.
Meth labs across the US have also been responsible for explosions. That’s why the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office says they won’t stop cracking down on meth users and distributors.
“We’re trying to combat these labs popping up in these communities, clean up some neighborhoods and make towns safer,” said Lt. Baker.
We asked crime analysts for the specific amount of meth labs found in each upstate county.
So far this year, Anderson County says there have been at least 27 found. That’s already higher than half of last year’s total. Spartanburg County says they’ve busted 28.
We are still waiting on Greenville county, but deputies say their numbers have risen.
