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PROVO -- Police in Utah County have busted something that haven't seen in years: a meth lab. Police say the meth makers were using a van and driving around while cooking the drug. The lab was busted early Tuesday morning at the storage units on 4095 W. Center Street in Provo.
Investigators had a tip that a lab was in a storage unit, and a drug dog confirmed it.
For the next several hours, the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force worked to disassemble the lab.
In all, officers recovered a wide range of meth making chemicals, and seized glassware and other items used to make meth.
Lt. Phil Murphy, with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, said, "This is a pretty significant lab. We haven't seen a lab this size for several years in the valley. We have seen smaller productions, but nothing with this significant amount of precursors involved in meth production, as well as glassware, specific chemicals, all which shows the individuals involved knew what they were doing and have been producing methamphetamine."
Investigators are now looking for suspects. They believe the ringleader of the operation may actually already be behind bars on another offense, but others who were helping him have not been caught.
They've recovered fingerprints and other evidence, which they hope will lead to arrests.
The officers are quick to point out, there is still just as much meth on the streets as ever, but almost all of it is produced outside of the country, typically in Mexico and then smuggled into the United States.
Ten years ago, meth labs were being shut down in Utah County almost weekly. That's not the case anymore, since drug precursors are so restricted now.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
