DETROIT – Federal agents are out with a warning in the fight to get meth off the streets in Metro Detroit as the drugs have been seeing an increase in the city.
With so much of the concern being on fentanyl, the DEA doesn’t want you to forget about the dangers of another drug that’s really flying under the radar.
“We actually nationally cease a lot more crystal meth than we do fentanyl,” said Special Agent in charge of DEA Detroit division Orville Greene.
Detroit is turning into a hotbed for meth, according to Greene, who says it’s becoming a trend.
“We have seen an increase,” Greene said.
About 300 kilos of meth have been taken off the streets in the state of Michigan this fiscal year alone, with about 80% of that being seized in the Detroit area.
But Greene says those drugs aren’t coming from much of the mom-and-pop homegrown meth labs; instead, the more highly organized drug cartels in Mexico.
“The difference in the meth coming from Mexico is that it’s a lot purer,” Greene said. “We’re talking upwards of 98 to 100% purity.”
The high purity has its own list of health risks and problems. However, with meth also being sold under the guise of prescription drugs, this puts the most vulnerable at risk for an accidental overdose, like our seniors and our children.
“That’s where that demographic, that younger demographic, is impacted,” Greene said. “Because they think they’re using a prescription pill when they’re taking something that’s laced with meth.”
Despite all the hurdles surrounding getting meth off of the streets, the idea isn’t slowing down with its efforts to crack down on the drug by raising awareness as much as possible by building relationships with state and local partners.
“What we’ve done is we’ve done a lot more outreach to communities, sort of educationally,” Greene said.
The DEA has made many meth interceptions with the product bound for Detroit. But many resources are being put into getting these drugs off the streets.