70 Pill Shopping Arrests

Alabama Drugs Mobile County busts more than 70 people accused of shopping for pills used to make Meth.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Thu, October 30, 2008 - 4:19 pm CST

Caye Renegar takes her business very seriously. "It's personal to me. This is a family business," she says. So, when drug addicts posing as patients try to con her out of Pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in Methamphetamine, she won't stand for it.

McConaghy Drug Store in Satsuma is one of 83 pharmacies working with Mobile County investigators to bust Meth makers.

"If you go to Walgreens and they turn you down, their technicians or pharmacists will pick up the phone and call us," says Renegar. "They'll say look out for this person, and we'll do the same for them."

Pharmacies are required to keep records of who buys pseudophedrine, and the amount customers are allowed to purchase is limited by law. Pharmacies participating in Mobile County's Meth Initiative willingly turn over their records to investigators.

"This program has turned out to be successful beyond our wildest dream," says Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran during a press conference Thursday morning. Cochran announced more than 70 arrests of people suspected of pill shopping.

"We're not picking on people that may make a mistake and buy more than two packages (of the Pseudoephedrine). "We're talking about dozens and dozens of packages these people are buying," says Cochran.

Renegar and her colleagues tell News Five they know how to spot people who are likely mixed up with Meth, and they are not afraid to report them to police.

If you notice suspicious activity that may be related to the drug you can report it with a text message--- text METH to 839863 or call 251-574-DRUG.

The sheriff's office has received 58 text messages reporting Meth, which have resulted in 24 arrests.

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