United States Drug Enforcement Administration

JAN 29 -- In the predawn hours of January 18th, law enforcement officers from the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, executed four high-risk search warrants in the Sylvania Heights section of Spotsylvania County.

The multi-agency raid, which was put together to find a suspected methamphetamine production lab and other narcotics distribution, uncovered exactly what they were expecting to find: A mobile methamphetamine production lab, quantities of suspected narcotics, firearms, and large quantities of cash.

As a result of this collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies, five arrests were made from the houses that were the targets of the search warrants. Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney William F. Neely said: “Once again, the work of Spotsylvania law enforcement and the cooperation of federal authorities have led to more effective prosecutions that clean up our streets.”

The investigation leading to the search warrants was initiated because of information provided to the Sheriff’s Office by a number of concerned citizens. Unlike most other narcotics, methamphetamine is routinely produced in clandestine laboratories by the people who sell it, often within their own homes. This is a particular concern because the production of methamphetamine is a volatile chemical process that presents a danger to neighborhood residents, fire & rescue workers, law enforcement, as well as the producers and their families.

Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard Smith commented: “I cannot emphasize enough the importance of concerned citizens helping the Sheriff ’s Office to identify suspected meth labs and other narcotics distribution. This operation proves to our residents that your efforts can have a vital impact on keeping you and your neighborhoods safe.”