Rolling meth lab

A rolling meth lab is a transportable laboratory used for the illegal production of methamphetamine. Rolling meth labs are often readily moved to a secluded location to be unpacked to synthesize the drug, such as in a public park, or sometimes set up to render the drug while the lab is traveling in a vehicle. This is done to avoid detection when the methamphetamine is being manufactured as strong toxic fumes are given off from the process, which could easily be detected in a residential area. Also, the toxic waste that remains after the synthesis of the drug can be dumped along the roadside or discarded in a forested area.

Transportation hazard
The process of "cooking" methamphetamine can be dangerous. The various chemicals often used are not only poisonous, but also flammable and explosive. In November 2001, a rolling meth lab carrying anhydrous ammonia exploded on Interstate 24 in southwest Kentucky. This prompted law enforcement to shut down the freeway, which backed up for miles. Such incidents have not only injured the meth producers, but have injured passing motorists and police officers, who are also exposed to dangerous fumes.

Toxic effects and dangerous remnants


As with a home lab, the remaining fumes from a crude moving methamphetamine lab can be extremely toxic. The surfaces of the vehicle's interior can be coated or impregnated with the poisonous residue, rendering a vehicle virtually worthless. Vehicles stolen for the single purpose of manufacture of the drug are most often considered contaminated and unusable: Exposure to the by-products of the chemical reaction remaining in the vehicle is frequently too dangerous. A further complication is that the "cooking" methods for meth frequently change, so the proper remediation for a given lab site cannot be assumed from previous known lab methods. Law enforcement Hazmat teams assigned to dispose of the toxic materials must use caution and receive training on a regular basis.

Law enforcement and detection
Rolling meth labs can be concealed on or in vehicles as large as 18 wheelers, or transported on something as small as a motorcycle. These labs are more difficult to detect than stationary ones, and can be often hidden among legal cargo on big trucks. Many recent rolling lab discoveries were the result of an officer just "stumbling" onto them. Improved officer training and the use of police K-9 units for checking suspicious vehicles may allow increased detection.

Indicators that further investigation is needed

 * Jars containing a clear liquid, with a white or red colored solid coating the bottom, with rubber tubing attached
 * A large number of cans of paint thinner, lye, acetone, lighter fluid, and drain cleaners or acid
 * Strong smell of urine or unusual chemical smells such as ether, acetone, or ammonia
 * Coffee filters containing a white pasty substance, a dark red paste, or small amounts of shiny white crystals
 * Glass cookware or stove pans containing a powdery residue