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Motel meth was small-scale shake-and-bake variety
A raid of a motel room that led to the arrest of three people uncovered what drug enforcement authorities call a “one-pot” or “shake-and-bake” operation for producing small quantities of methamphetamine.
The arrests were made after state and local law officers staked out the motel, which was not identified, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday.
In a statement Tuesday, Chief Deputy Steve Hoggard said the one-pot method mixes chemicals in containers the size of a 2-liter soda bottle. While not as volatile as labs that mass produce meth, one-pot production can still cause explosions and fires.
A one-pot cook is actually a variation of the anhydrous ammonia method of production; however, in the one-pot method, cooks use a combination of commonly available chemicals to synthesize the anhydrous ammonia essential for methamphetamine production.
In doing so, they are able to produce the drug in approximately 30 minutes at nearly any location by mixing ingredients in easily found containers, such as a 2-liter plastic soda bottle, as opposed to using other methods that require hours to heat ingredients on a stove, a process that could result in toxic fumes, primarily from the anhydrous ammonia.
Producers often use the one-pot cook while traveling in vehicles and then dispose of waste components along roadsides. Discarded plastic bottles may carry residual chemicals that can be toxic, explosive, or flammable.
– U.S. Department of Justice National Drug Intelligence Center website.
“This incident was confined to one motel room in Kill Devil Hills and was reported to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, as is our protocol, for review of the area for hazardous conditions regarding the chemicals used in the manufacture,” Hoggard said.
“Release of the premises back to the owner/operator is coordinated by the SBI and local health officials. To our knowledge, no haz-mat response was necessary.”
The owners are not suspects in the case, he said.
Arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine were:
Sammy Pleasant Bowles Jr., 50, of Christiansburg, Va.. He was being held at the Dare County Detention Center in lieu of $10,000 bond.
Joseph James Forbes Jr., 41, of S. Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills. He was released on $1,000 secured bond.
Beverly Lynne Howell, 43, of S. Virginia Dare Trail, Kill Devil Hills. She was also released on $1,000 secured bond.
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KH Mom says:
All that says to me is that they can make more of it in less amount of time. Very glad that the police have put a stop to at least this one operation.
ekim says:
I wonder if they came here to fry their brains or try to make a fast buck. Great job lawmen!
BEACHGLASSLOVER says:
Isn’t there a problem with the use of the hotel room after being used to make meth? Does it need to be cleaned specifically with Hazmat suits, etc?
gangs in the hood says:
The KDH cops are doing the best job they can with the resources available to them. I am kinda tired of the bad rap they are getting………….
Sunny says:
The courts need to send a messege to drug dealers that Dare County has ZERO tolerance on drugs. Hit them with no bail and long jail/prison terms. Make it so they know the consequences of manufacturing, selling and buying drugs here. Give them 3 strikes and your in….life without parole. $1000.00 bond is such a joke….they make that much on a friday night.
Confused says:
The man in Manteo growing his own weed,gets 10x the bail amount as the 2 of the 3 involved in a Meth lab,What the heck is wrong here???????????
Sad says:
These folks need help, not a life term in prison. This wasn’t an operation, it was an addict needing a fix.
Yes Sad says:
ZERO TOLERANCE,
Buyers: Of course it was an addict needing a Fix. Big or little production it is an addict needing a fix. It is called the customer. Another problem.
Sellers/producers: Start now !! ZERO TOLERANCE, let them know that they should stay out of DARE! Don’t let the problem grow and grow.
gnorts ymra says:
wow you guys dont know if this is even true, so what do u even care u dont know the people.
Bill says:
They make about two or three grams per batch with this method. They seized 15 metric tons of meth in Mexico recently, 15,000,000 grams, most of which would have come here. These tweakers cooking up a tiny amount in a motel room aren’t supplying the meth demand on the streets. They’re probably doing all or at least most of what they make, may not even be selling it. They’re just drug addicts. If they’re selling any it’s a tiny drop in the bucket of all the meth out there on the streets. Not that it’s okay for them to do this, but it’s important to have things in perspective.