Clandestine Labs
Signs of a Clandestine Lab too watch out for:
•Chemical containers, most with the labels removed or painted over
•Little or no activity during the day, but lots of traffic during extremely late night hours
•Strong odors similar to a diaper pale, urine, or unusual chemical smells like, ether, ammonia, or acetone
•Occupants burning lots if not all of their trash
•Coffee filters or paper towels stained with red chemicals, with white or red chalk colored paste that maybe wet or dry, and duct tape, clear glass jugs or jars
•Vehicles loaded with chemical containers such as propane tanks, plastic drink bottles, thermos or liquid containers
•Laboratory glassware, rubber tubing, charcoal, drain cleaner, Iodine, cold medicine pills, and/or their containers
•Occupants smoking outside to escape chemical fumes
•Dead grass or plants in a particular area of the yard
•Sewage problems such as stopped up drains or regular Plummer service
•Chemicals dumped into storm drains, wooded areas, abandoned property, business dumpsters or taken directly to waste disposal areas
•The purchase, possession and/or discarding of numerous empty containers or blister packs of over-the-counter cold medicines
•Large numbers of match books or boxes, and the discarding of numerous match books with only the striker pads missing
•Purchase and/or discarding of Lithium Battery shells.
Types of Clandestine Labs:
•Amphetamine – Speed, Crank
•Methamphetamine – Ice, Crystal, Crystal Meth, Tina
•GHB – Date Rape, Scoop, Georgia Home Boy
•LSD – Acid
•MDMA – XTC, Ecstasy, Love Drug, Adam, X
Lab Equipment:
A Clandestine Lab may have the latest in professional laboratory equipment and/or glassware. Usually though they only consist of an assortment of normal household cooking equipment, such as:
•Mason Canning Jars
•1 or 2 liter drink bottles
•Heat resistant glass cookware
•Coffee filters and/or makers
•Solvent cans (Starter fluid, fuel additive, Coleman or Camp Fuel)
•Plastic hoses
•Electric benders
•Kitchen baking funnels
•Gas cans
•Box fans for ventilation
Types of Chemicals
•Solvents
•Muriatic Acid
•Red Devil Lye
•Rock Salt or table salt
•Camping fuel
•Automotive starting fluids
•Denatured or rubbing alcohol
•Iodine tincture or crystals
•Sudafed, cold tablets with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine
Types of Labs:
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Active or Operational Lab:
This is a Clandestine Lab that is in the process of “cooking” or making the product.
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Trashed:
Photo shows a Clandestine Lab that has been discarded or burned.
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Mobile Lab:
This is a Clandestine Lab that is inside a vehicle and may be active or in-active, but the vehicle is driving around. This can be one of the most dangerous labs of them all, due to the possibility of the vehicle being involved in a traffic accident.
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In-Active or Non-Operational Lab: This is a Clandestine Lab that has been just setup or has been used before but is “not cooking” at the time of discovery.
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Stored or Boxed:
This is a Clandestine Lab that has been dismantled and put away in boxes or in storage such as the attic, mini-warehouse, utility shields, trunk of a vehicle, etc.
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Dangers and Hazards of Clandestine Labs:
•Explosions – Any violent chemical reaction between chemicals, water and/or air, which could result in an explosion.
•Fire – The result of heating elements and the chemicals in some processes making contact and resulting in a reaction and/or fire. Heat generated by more than two chemicals reacting with each other.
•Burns – Physical or Chemical – This can come from contact with an actual fire or from contact with chemicals such as acids and/or their containers or vapors.
•Toxic Gases – Doses of chemicals used for manufacturing Meth or from the by-products of these chemicals being inhaled. Phosphine and/or phosgene are the most common and are undetectable by the eye and their odors are difficult to detect without monitoring equipment.