This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents busted a second spice lab in St. George on Thursday, the day after the massive takedown of an alleged spice ring.
Fourteen people from St. George and Salt Lake City are suspected of manufacturing synthetic marijuana, called spice, and shipping it to smoke shops across the country, according to a complaint filed against them in federal court. Law enforcement announced the charges on Wednesday, hours after executing more than 150 arrest warrants in 33 states, putting an end to the suspected two-year drug operation.
The search warrants on Wednesday included a warehouse in Hurricane where agents suspect they manufactured the spice. The raid in St. George on Thursday included a second warehouse, allegedly a second lab, and two storage units, where agents found chemicals and finished spice products, said DEA spokeswoman Sue Thomas.
In this second wave of executing warrants, agents seized chemicals, a "considerable amount of drugs," and about $900,000 from several bank accounts, Thomas said.
"I think we are done with the search warrants, but we have some additional seizure warrants [left to serve]," she said. She expects given the enormous scope of the alleged spice ring, the seizures and investigation will go on for another few weeks.
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