Anhydrous ammonia theft for meth production poses risks; three arrests in one county in a week

Earlier this month we reported the rise of thefts of anhydrous ammonia for methamphetamine production, and recent arrests in one small Southern Kentucky county reflect that trend and the dangers that accompany it. "The arrests of three men in a week in Simpson County, accused of stealing anhydrous ammonia tanks to use for making methamphetamine, highlight the bold steps makers of the drug will take to secure its ingredients - and the dangers involved for law enforcement and suspects alike," Justin Story of  the Bowling Green Daily News reports. Thefts often involve slipping a bicycle inner tube over the nozzle of a tank and transferring the ammonia from its tank to another container.

When farmers use tanks they don't realize have been tampered with, they face additional injury risk from the volatile gas. "It just seems like they just don’t care if somebody’s watching them or not," Jerry Smith, director of the South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, said of people who attempt to steal the tanks from farms. The chemical can be dangerous when inhaled or handled improperly.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports "anhydrous ammonia stored in a makeshift container exposed to high temperatures can expand and cause an explosion," Story writes. In addition to farms, other retailers have been targeted for thefts of the chemical. "We’re in a pretty remote location in a rural setting, though we’re well-lit at night," Jay Graves, key account consultant for Schochoh Mills, a Logan County farm supply store, told Story. "When we start seeing a problem, I’ll let the sheriff know we’ve got thefts going on and they’ll patrol the area more and set up here on the property and try to catch them in the act." (Read more) BTW, that's pronounced "Shock-oh."