‘Red P’ meth lab raided (Arkansas)

http://www.thedailycitizen.com/articles/2006/01/31/news/local_news/news02.txt


Third bust in a week, seventh for the year

By Philip Holsinger


The Daily Citizen

Detectives on a “Red P” drug raid were confronted with sophisticated cameras and reinforced doors.

White County Sheriff’s detectives were confronted with a potentially explosive situation Saturday when they uncovered a red phosphorous methamphetamine lab in Georgetown.

Detectives believe the lab had been in operation for a long period of time.

It was the department’s third meth bust in a week and the seventh this year.

Detectives arrested Kenneth Stephenson, 28, of Georgetown after raiding a house at 509 Riverside Drive and discovering an active lab type law enforcement officers call “Red P,” for red phosphorous.

“These are some of the most dangerous meth labs,” White County Sheriff Pat Garrett said. “The Red P labs put off a gas that is hard to detect by smell and is very explosive and can be deadly to inhale.”

Red phosphorous labs are named for the material gathered from the strike strips of match cases. The material allows for a greater yield of dope, Garrett said. Even though the end yield is larger, the volatility of the material and longer production time make it less popular than amonia-based labs.

Garrett said detectives had surveiled the house “for some time.”

By the amount of drug residue that appeared to pollute the residence and the amount of lab equipment discovered, the lab may have produced a large quantity of dope, Garrett said.

A fortified door and multiple exterior surveillance cameras posed additional risks to detectives, Williams said.

“The occupants... were monitoring two city streets from their living room and were able to see anyone that pulled into the driveway, which made it a very dangerous situation for me and my deputies,” Garrett said.

A $30,000 bond was set for Stephens.

Judsonia police, assisted by sheriff’s detectives, arrested Eric Snowden Friday after executing a search warrant at 790 Highway 367 North.

Snowden was arrested on multiple drug-related charges, Judsonia Police Chief Ray Coffman said.

A $20,000 bond was set.

On Jan. 24, sheriff’s deputies arrested three people at a Gum Springs residence on drug-related charges.

Arrested were Cecil Richards, 46, Lloyd Sarrels, 38, and Natalie Floyd, 31.

At approximately 3:30 a.m., Deputy Britt Simpson smelled evidence of a meth lab while patrolling on Highway 267. While investigating a nearby residence with fellow deputy Randy Reed, Simpson and Reed stumbled across the lab located at 2470 Highway 267.

“A male subject stepped out of the residence very disoriented and then yelled into the residence, ‘It’s the sheriff’s department,’” said Simpson.

The deputies entered the residence after noticing a “cloudy fog emitting from inside the residence” to “check the well-being” of other occupants, Simpson said.

Floyd was charged with conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance and a $15,000 bond was set.

Sarrels and Richards, both on parole for prior drug charges, are being charged with the same and have bonds set at $100,000 each.