Someone may have donated mini ‘meth labs’ to the Salvation Army, SC firefighters say
A donation to a South Carolina nonprofit demanded a closer inspection — from drug investigators, officials say.
The container dropped off at a Salvation Army store in Greenwood had what appeared to be five discarded one-pot meth labs, the city’s fire department said Wednesday in a Facebook post.
The plastic storage bin had “several plastic drink bottles, all of which contained a white sludge substance,” the Greenwood Police Department said in its report.
Meth manufacturers can use the one-pot method for creating small batches of the drug, often by combining ingredients in 2-liter bottles, according to the Fire Engineering website.
Also found in the Salvation Army donation area were five meth-making materials called “acid generators,” Greenwood fire officials said.
“An ‘acid generator’ is a combination of household chemicals and products placed in a container to create a chemical reaction that will form methamphetamine crystals,” Fire Chief Terry Strange wrote in an email to McClatchy newsgroup.
Police say they responded early Wednesday to the nonprofit after someone donating clothes and bedding noticed the plastic bin.
Firefighters later tested “hazards” and moved the suspected meth labs away from gas generators, their report says.
Photos from the scene appear to show first responders at a drive-thru donation area wearing firefighting gear and gloves.
Fire officials “made the bin and its contents safe for transport” before turning items over to a company that handles hazardous chemicals, police say.
Greenwood is about 80 miles northwest of Columbia.
This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Someone may have donated mini ‘meth labs’ to the Salvation Army, SC firefighters say."
