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