The Nebraska State Patrol says they're seeing more meth coming into the state. So far this year, troopers have seized 177 pounds of meth in the state, which is more than they confiscated in the two previous years combined.
Troopers tell 6 News that there are a few likely reasons for the spike. Lt. Matt Sutter says one of them is good, the other is troubling. "We are getting better. Those numbers, the trend is going to go up. The better we get at identifying it and seizing it, the increase is going to be there."
In one instance, the NSP seized 46.5 pounds of meth on Interstate 80. It was hidden under floorboards of a car during a traffic stop. "We are encouraging troopers more to conduct traffic stops geared to criminal interdiction than traffic violations."
The stop where the meth was found under the floorboards happened because of a license plate issue. Troopers use opportunities like that to start asking questions.
Trooper Jeremy Thorson tells 6 News that if people have trouble answering things like, "Where are you going?" then troopers can spot red flags or indications of criminal activity. "Stories that the common person would say, 'That doesn't seem right, that doesn't make sense,' That's something we are looking for."
Sutter says another reason the NSP is seeing more meth seizures is because of the opioid crisis. "Because if you have someone heavily addicted to opioids, they may use that meth concurrently as a stimulant to counter effects of opioids if they need to be functional."
Law enforcement officers aren't the only ones noticing the trend. "The cartels have picked up on that. They understand the supply and demand and are flooding the market with more meth, which is leading to us encountering it on the roadside," Sutter said.
One silver lining is that the number of home meth labs has significantly decreased, so there is less fear about labs exploding.