El Paso County Sheriff's Office & Colorado Springs Police Department Metro VNI
The Metro Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence Division will work as a multi-agency co-located drug task force to investigate, control and prevent the illegal sale, possession or manufacturing of illicit drugs. Units of Metro VNI will conduct in-depth investigations of major drug trafficking organizations and gangs involved in drug trafficking and money laundering operations throughout El Paso and Teller Counties, to include the sharing of criminal intelligence information with all federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The intelligence Unit is committed to developing, analyzing, enhancing, and disseminating criminal intelligence to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with emphasis given to Homeland Security crimes related to gang activity and illegal firearms, narcotics or liquor law violations in the Forth Judicial District.
The D.E.A. Task Force seeks to conduct in-depth investigations of major drug organizations and money laundering operations and initiating investigations concerning the smuggling of controlled substances throughout the United States with emphasis on the Forth Judicial District.
The Metro VNI Impact Teams will conduct quality investigations of individuals or groups involved in the street-level distribution of narcotics or prostitution with the goal of reducing crime, fear and disorder throughout the Forth Judicial District.
If you have information that you believe would be helpful to the Metro VNI Unit, please call us at (719) 444-3111. You can either leave your number and a Detective will get back with you; or you can remain anonymous by leaving a detailed message which we will investigate; or you can email us at Metro VNI.
Meth' Lab Recognition and Awareness
Clandestine methamphetamine (meth) manufacture is one of the most serious and dangerous of current drug issues being faced by law enforcement and the public. Illicit manufacture of meth involves the process of combining multiple chemicals to another substance (referred to as a "precursor") to create methamphetamine. The most common precursor used is "pseudoephedrine," found in many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications. The tablets containing pseudoephedrine are crushed, then the powder is dissolved and mixed with various chemicals to create the reactions that convert the pseudoephedrine to methamphetamine. The process of combining these chemicals creates hazardous conditions, including a strong risk of fire, explosion or toxic gases, as well as a substantial amount of hazardous chemical waste. This creates not only an increase threat to the safety of law enforcement and medical first responders, but also to the public.
Methamphetamine is extremely addictive and provides a longer and more intense high than many other street drugs. Its use is widespread, making it competitively priced and easily accessible among other street drugs. In recent years, there have been significant simplifications discovered in the process for producing methamphetamine. The ingredients necessary can largely be obtained from the over-the-counter household chemicals.
There are a number of different "recipes" or methods of producing methamphetamine, each involving the use of various chemicals. Some of the common chemicals used are: Acetone, Toluene, Methanol or Methyl Alcohol, Denatured Alcohol, Ether, Anhydrous Ammonia, Lithium, Red Phosphorous, Iodine or Iodine Crystals, Muratic Acid, Sulfuric Acid, Lye, Hydrochloric Acid, and Hypophosphorous Acid. These chemicals have limited household uses independently, but they are only combined with one another in methamphetamine production. If you see combinations of these chemicals being used in your neighborhood, you should suspect the possibility of a meth lab being present.
You should also be suspicious of strong chemical odors associated with the process of making meth. It can include strong solvent odors, ammonia odors, or a pungent odor that some have compared to "smelly sweat socks." There are other "indicators" of the presence of a meth lab to watch for: multiple coffee filters with chemical stains, glass or plastic jars with chemicals separating into layers or containing chemical residue, broken open lithium battery casings, multiple empty containers of gas-line treatment, and multiple empty packages or blister packs from cold and allergy medications.
If you suspect the possible presence of a meth lab near you, please contact the Colorado Springs Police Department Metro Vice and Narcotics Division as soon as possible at either 444-7766 of on the Narcotics Hotline at 444-3111.
Signs of a Possible Meth Lab
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- Stained coffee Filters
- Empty pseudophedrine blister packs
- Strong solvent or ammonia odors*
- Acetone
- Toluene
- Denatured Alcohol
- Red Devil Lye
- Red Phosphorous*
- Lithium Batteries
- Anhydrous Ammonia*
- Heet or Gas-line treatments with Methyl Alcohol
- Drain Cleaner with Sulfuric Acid
- Heat Source*
- Glassware (beakers or mason jars)
- Coffee Grinder with white powder residue*
- Stained tubing*
- Hypodermic Syringes
- Written recipes*
*Items to be aware of, not in photo |