Nazi Methamphetamine Production

After filtering, the reaction byproducts and traces of methamphetamine remain in the filter papers. Occasionally traces of pseudoephedrine precursor also remain.

HCl Gas Generators

Salt and sulfuric acid drain cleaner are mixed to produce hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas.

Nazi Methamphetamine Production

Various types of containers are used for this process. This is what is know as a gassing generator.

Nazi Methamphetamine Production

HCl gas from gassing generator is bubbled through the ether / methamphetamine solution to form methamphetamine crystals which

Methamphetamine Production

falls to the bottom of the solution.

Methamphetamine Production

The ether solution containing methamphetamine is filtered to recover the Finished Product Methamphetamine

Nazi Labs - Sometimes the cooks go to the anhydrous ammonia.

Sometimes the anhydrous ammonia comes to the cooks.

A lot of the time, the cooks bring the anhydrous ammonia home.

Fire extinguisher used for anhydrous ammonia storage

Fire extinguisher used for anhydrous ammonia storage

Nazi Lab Trash

Law Enforcement Targets Anhydrous Ammonia

Non-approved

Container Law

Stake

Out COOP fertilizer lots

Tank

Locks, Additives to Anhydrous to prevent synthesis, Dyes to Anhydrous tanks

DIY Anhydrous Ammonia

Ammonium Nitrate or Ammonium Sulfate + Sodium Hydroxide (Red Devil Lye) + (a little) water = Anhydrous Ammonia

(need a solvent)

Ammonium Nitrate
Fertilizer, Cold Packs (gets cold when mixed with water) Urea based cold packs sort of work.

One-Pot/Shake & Bake

To

one container add:

Nitrate /Sulfate

Pseudoephedrine

Ammonium
Lye Water Lithium Solvent

(Ether or Coleman
Quiz Which of these dont go together?

fuel)

One-Pot Cook Video

NES & Brad Smith (Tulsa PD) Experiments

Pressure builds which limits reaction until pressure is released.

NOTE: Flashes of flame in right picture as lithium contacts water insufficient oxygen to support flame.

Hot Lithium burns hole in bottom of plastic jar. Once released, sufficient oxygen is present to support flame.

Hot Lithium burns hole in bottom of plastic jar. Once released, sufficient oxygen is present to support flame.

Technically this is not an explosion!

NES & Brad Smith (Tulsa PD) Experiments

Eight (8) cooks were conducted

Four (4) cooks failed due to the reaction of lithium and water happening too close to the side of the bottle Of those four (4), three (3) burned through then had no additional flame/fire One (1) of those four (4) did continue to burn after the bottle had failed

In this case, it was not immediately after the failure. In other states, cooks are using glass bottles and/or metal cans instead of plastic bottles - these fail as well for the same reasons.

One-Pot Hazards
Pressurized
Because

Bottles

pressure shuts down the reaction a bottle can look pretty tame, but when the lid is cracked open the reaction can start up again. Pressurized solvents can spray out of the bottle.
This

liquid can contain quite a bit of ammonia. This liquid may contain lithium and water that can react and serve as an ignition source.

One-Pot Hazards
(continued)
Rolling

or tilting the bottle can expose un-reacted lithium to water which can burn through the side of the container causing flame thrower effect. Dried reaction material is fine strongly basic powder that can easily become airborne. Tulsa seems to have a lot of fire problems.

Tulsa PD procedure
(this is a summary check with them for specifics) Wait

until bottle starts reacting. If necessary move bottle to safe area (outside)
Place

in fire resistant over pack and pour Vermiculite around it. Once in safe area remove from over pack
(working

with over pack can produce chimney effect)

Tulsa PD procedure
Loosen

lid slowly if reaction starts up back off and wait.

Repeat

until cap is completely removed.

Use

razor knife to cut off the top of container. Scoop out floating lithium strips (dont push them to the bottom). Place in mineral oil. Pour off solvent. Dispose of sludge.

One Pot Lab evidence

One Pot Lab evidence

(one mans trash)

Hydrogenation Labs
Ingredients
Ephedrine

Or Pseudoephedrine Or PPA Gas

Hydrogen

Many

Different Catalysts Such As Palladium, Raney Nickel, Phosphorus Pentachloride, Thionyl Chloride, Acetic Acid, Perchloric Acid

Hydrogenation Setup

Hydrogenation Labs - Hazards

Compressed

Hydrogen Gas

Pressurized

Glassware

Many

Of The Chemicals Used Are Toxic

Common Hazards Of All Clandestine Labs

Inhalation
Strong

And Splash Hazards

Acids And Bases Acid Gas Generators Organic Solvents Chemical Contamination
Methamphetamine
Do

Cooks

Not Know The Chemical Dangers Do Not Care About The Dangers

Current Trends
About

80% of what our KBI agents are getting is One-Pot labs. The other 20% depends on location
Kansas mostly Red Phosphorus Other places in Kansas traditional Nazi
Southeast

Controlling Pseudoephedrine

In the previous slides Law Enforcement/Government targeted the tool chemicals. So the clandestine cooks found new tools. The common theme in all of these methods is . pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine sale monitoring, limits on the amount sold. Kansas is just implementing tracking and we have Stop Sale. Oregon has made pseudoephedrine prescription only, and other states are considering it.

Cleanup Issues
Clean-up

has always been a problem. We spent more time on site dealing with disposal issues than we did processing the lab. law enforcement executes a warrant on a meth lab, they are considered the generator of the hazardous waste.

When

Cleanup Issues
At

one time KDHE helped with disposal of the chemicals. It was done right and in the most economical way possible. This was a something that Kansas did very well! also made sure that dwellings used as clan labs were safe before they could be reoccupied.

KDHE

Cleanup Issues
The

DEA used to pay for waste contractors to hall away clan lab waste. This service for non-DEA clan labs is no longer available.

This

leaves local agencies that seize clan labs in a really bad situation.

Questions?