A Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office deputy discovered what is believed to be one of the largest methamphetamine labs in the state after responding to a call this weekend.
Steven Schmidt, owner of North Star Mini Storage, smelled a strong chemical odor coming from within one of his storage units Saturday.
Once inside the storage area, Deputy D.H. Zeigler found several containers and chemicals used to make methamphetamine, GHB and ecstasy, along with two notebooks labeled “How to Make Crystal Meth.”
The Appalachian Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and Georgia Bureau of Investigation were also called in to investigate the area.
No drugs in their finished form were found, but Drug Enforcement Administration agents estimated there were enough raw materials present to produce more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine, with a street value of about $385,000.