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Red phosphorus
Tablets
Hydrogenchloride
Liquidmeth
Liquid methon bottom
Filtercloth
Causticsoda
Filtercloth
Ice
Acid
STEVE COWDEN, STEVE SUO/THE OREGONIAN
Contrary to popularbelief, most methusers do notoperate meth labs.An estimated 80percent of the U.S.supply comesinstead fromorganized drugcartels, whichmanufacture methfor nationaldistribution in asmall number ofmassive California”superlabs.”Pioneered byMexican drugrunners in the early1990s, these labsrequire enormousvolumes of theessential chemicalsephedrine orpseudoephedrine.Traffickers extractthese inter-changeableingredients fromcough and cold pillssold on the blackmarket.
Solvent
1. Grindtablets
Tablets ofephedrineor pseudo-ephedrineare groundto a powderin ablender.
Ephedrine orpseudoephed-rine adheres tothe solvent,separating itfrom whitetablet binder.
2. Mix withsolvent
3. Filtering binder
The binder is removedwith a filter. Theremaining solvent iscooked away on lowheat, leaving purepseudoephedrine.
4. Add redphosphorus and acid
Mixed in on low heat, thepseudoephedrine changesto methamphetamine, butis too acidic.
5. Filterout sludge
Redphosphorussludge isfiltered outusing clothbungeed overa barrel.
6. Addcaustic soda
Gives meth abase. Thisprocesscreates intenseheat, so ice isused to coolthe reaction.
7. AddFreon,separateliquidmeth
The methsticks to theFreon andsettles tothe bottom,where it isdrained outusing aspigot.
8. Bubblehydrogenchloride
The gas turnsthe meth intoa salt,lowering itsacidity. Themeth is nowconsumable,but still wet.
9. Drying
The finishedmeth is pouredonto a filtercloth and dried.
10. Cutting
The dry meth isweighed, dilutedwith additives, andpackaged.
At the center of theoperation are fourglobe-shapedflasks on aluminumbases. These 22-liter glass balls withelectric heaters arethe superlab’ssignature feature.Each one sells for$3,000 to $4,000on the street andwill make 110,000doses of meth.Many superlabsstring togethermultiple “22s” foreven biggerproduction.
”BUBBLING 22”
“Bubbling22” Vent
hose
Meth superlab