Three people on a shopping spree for chemicals used to make methamphetamine were arrested Friday, July 6.

Each was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine under a 2005 state statute requiring the presence of only two or more chemicals or pieces of equipment if it can be shown there is intent to produce methamphetamine.

Arrested and lodged at the Laurel County Detention Center were 37-year-old Albert Abner Jr. and 32-year-old Lucy Cotton, both of Bert Allen Road, London, and 22-year-old Michael Sultz of Camden Street, Ferndale, Michigan.

An Operation UNITE detective had received a tip that the trio may be purchasing medications containing pseudoephedrine, and contacted the London Police Department for assistance in locating their vehicle.

About 8 p.m. London Sgt. Matt Moore and Officer Eric Wilkerson stopped the suspects¹ silver PT Cruiser on North Main Street.

The driver, Abner, consented to a search of the car where police located approximately 10 grams of pseudoephedrine-containing medications, lithium batteries, Liquid Fire (which contains sulfuric acid), and sodium hydroxide (household lye).

Senate Bill 63, passed by the 2005 Kentucky General Assembly, limits the amount of packages of products containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine or phenylpropanolamine in tablet, caplet or powder form to no more than 9 grams in a 30-day period.

Both Abner and Cotton had already been under investigation by UNITE for violating the 9-gram limit.

For more information about Operation UNITE visit their website at www.operationunite.org.