A Pennsylvania company has agreed to pay a $1.3 million fine after thousands of pounds of a chemical used to make meth were discovered in southern Arizona.
The chemical company failed to notify the DEA when it lost track of the chemicals, according to the Department of Justice. Five drums of the chemical were intercepted by border agents in Nogales in 2011 and six additional drums were discovered in a storage facility after an anonymous tip to the DOJ in 2012.
“If this had reached its destination point, we firmly believe it would have been used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine,” said Erica Curry, with the Department of Justice in Arizona.
“Over the last couple of years we’ve seen significant increase in the seizure of methamphetamine. We’re seeing 20-pound quantities, 100-pound quantities seized at ports of entries and during our investigations.”
In addition to the fine, the company will be required to comply with heightened reporting standards.
