09/23/09 — Meth lab found in lot near Irish Inns

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Meth lab found in lot near Irish Inns

By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on September 23, 2009 1:46 PM

As many as eight people were involved with a methamphetamine "lab" found in the back of two trucks parked outside a Goldsboro hotel on Tuesday morning, police said.

Law enforcement arrived to find a "reacting vessel," meaning methamphetamine was being produced inside one of the trucks, authorities said.

People involved with the labs had been staying in Room 120 of the Irish Inns on Sunburst Drive, Cpl. Chris Peedin said.

The smell of propane wafted through the air near the two vehicles, and Peedin said it was possible that ammonia might also have been stored inside the vehicles.

A black Ford F-150 truck contained most of the equipment, the corporal said.

"There's major components of a meth lab in the back of the bed of it -- you can probably smell the propane coming out of there," Peedin said. "It's basically bits and pieces of a 'one-pot' lab, from what I've looked at inside of it."

Peedin said he did not know if all eight people being questioned would eventually be arrested. Some of the hotel room occupants were from Wayne County, and others were from surrounding counties, Peedin said.

"Investigation is going to continue right now," Peedin said.

The investigation started after drug officers received information that people were using meth inside the hotel room, and that a person inside the room had an active warrant.

"We got consent to search the truck, that's basically when the (suspect) stopped us, and said 'you might not want to do that," Peedin said.

Authorities then obtained a search warrant and found the meth lab components, he said.