After Ozarks sheriff’s meth-testing offer, two phone calls, no arrests, 1.7 million Facebook views

An Ozarks sheriff’s department’s “bring in your meth for contamination testing” offer is over, for now.

The online solicitation, made in a Facebook post by the Christian County sheriff’s office, drew 1.7 million views and was shared more than 17,000 times. People commented thousands of times, some laughing, others wondering whether it was for real.

In the end, the fake “Breaking Information” didn’t net any arrests. But it was successful all the same, said Lt. Jeff Lofton.

“After so long, if you’re fishing, you just may try to find another kind of bait,” Lofton said. “And we had a couple of bites.”

Two people called inquiring about the alert.

“They told dispatch they wanted to get a hold of a deputy,” Lofton said. “They didn’t want to share any information with dispatch, but they wanted to find out about screening their meth. Were they paranoid? Were they tweaking? Who knows?”

The department tried to get in touch with the callers, but the numbers they had called from couldn’t be tracked.

Last week, The Star reported about the Facebook post, with its call to all users that methamphetamine from Texas could be contaminated with hepatitis or staph.

Police agencies in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and other states have been spreading a similar word about methamphetamine. In some areas, word is that meth is laced with Ebola. Maybe even the local heroin supply is tainted. So just haul your drugs to the local police department and let trained officers take care of that contaminated meth for you, the posts have urged.

In Texas, one woman took the bait.

“I’m not surprised,” said Mark Black, the police chief of Laurie, Mo., whose agency posted its own alert on social media recently. “I’ve seen all kinds of things. I’m not surprised what they (meth users) do anymore.”

The Texas woman contacted the Granite Shoals Police Department, worried that her meth was contaminated. Authorities seized her drugs.

The Texas department had posted this message March 22 on Facebook:

“Meth and heroin recently brought in to central Texas as well as the ingredients used to make it could be contaminated with the life-threatening disease Ebola. If you have recently purchased meth or heroin in central Texas, please take it to the local police or sheriff department so it can be screened with a special device. DO NOT use it until it has been properly checked for possible Ebola contamination! Contact any Granite Shoals PD officer for testing.”

Two days later, the police department posted again:

“This morning, we had our first concerned citizen notify the Granite Shoals Police Department that they believed their methamphetamine may be tainted. Our officers gladly took the item for further testing. Results and booking photos are pending.

“Please continue to report any possibly tainted methamphetamine or other narcotics to the Granite Shoals Police Department. Public health and safety continue to remain our #1 priority. ‪#notkidding‬.”

Some people didn’t like the tactic, saying the department put out false information to trick people. Others applauded the effort.

“It was funny and playing on morons is a good crime fighting tool,” wrote one person.

In Lindsborg, Kan., a Facebook page — not associated with the police department — had its own warning of Ebola contamination.

“No one is taking it serious,” said Sgt. Scott Wolf of the Lindsborg Police Department. “But if someone does, that would be interesting. We would definitely take their meth.”

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 10:26 AM with the headline "After Ozarks sheriff’s meth-testing offer, two phone calls, no arrests, 1.7 million Facebook views."