Methamphetamine production rises in Virginia
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After declining for several years, government figures now show a jump in the production of methamphetamines.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s latest figures indicate 28 meth labs were found in the Commonwealth in 2009.
The number of labs had been declining since a peak of 79 in 2004. The DEA says the increase in production is likely due to Mexican drug cartels and dealers learning how to get around restrictions on the sale of pseudoephedrine. That over-the-counter medicine is one of the key ingredients in methamphetamine and requires identification to buy in limited quantities.
Agents say the meth producers are paying people to buy the pseudoephedrine for them.
John Ogle, WCVE News
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