Van pulled over for broken headlight was rolling meth lab, police say

MONROE (WJBK) - Officers in Monroe say that when pulled over a car during a routine traffic stop, they found a rolling meth lab.

Around 4:00 Friday morning, Monroe Police stopped a van because the vehicle had only one headlight. They ended up searching the vehicle and found a rolling meth lab after an alert officer noticed suspicious items in the car.

"It just so happened the officer who stopped this individual is also a drug recognition expert in our department. He was able to see these items and [he] knew there was more to this," Monroe Police Lt. John Wall said.

Photos taken inside the 2003 white Ford van show some of the ingredients and tools that are used to make methamphetamines.

The 47-year-old told police he's originally from Monroe but has been living in his van and making the meth inside it for his own personal use.

"The process in which meth cooks, creates a lot of heat and gasses and can be very explosive," Lt. Wall said.

Police also say he admitted to using other people's identification to buy pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient to making meth. Police say he's cooperating but hasn't slept in a week.

"At this point, he's been up for the past 7 days without sleep, which is certainly a side effect of being under the influence of meth," Lt. Wall said.

He's expected to be arraigned on Saturday.