Florida Men Arrested After Mobile Meth Lab Found in Car During Traffic Stop: Authorities

Pair facing charges after routine traffic stop leads to mobile meth lab discovery: Authorities

Two Florida men were arrested after a routine traffic stop turned up a mobile meth lab in the trunk of a car, authorities said.

The incident happened Friday afternoon when a deputy pulled the car over in area of Courtland Boulevard and Fort Smith Boulevard in Deltona, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.

The deputy thought the three occupants of the car seemed nervous and were avoiding eye contact, she he called for a K-9 unit to respond to the scene, the sheriff's office said.


When the K-9 responded, it quickly alerted deputies to the trunk where they found muriatic acid and Coleman brand camp fuel,two common elements used to make methamphetamine, the sheriff's office said.

They also discovered a backpack that contained the rest of the mobile meth lab, including a plastic hose and funnel, drain opener, table salt, coffee filters, ice packs and two syringes with trace amounts of methamphetamine, the sheriff's office said.

One of the car's passengers, 42-year-old Billy Hayes, admitted the backpack was his and that he knew what was in it, the sheriff's office said. Another passenger, 31-year-old Jason Knope, had a small plastic container with trace amounts of methamphetamine, the sheriff's office said.


Both men admitted to being meth users, the sheriff's office said.

Hayes was charged with manufacture of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was being held Monday on $28,500 bond, jail records showed.

Knope was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was being held on $3,500 bond Monday. It was unknown whether Hayes or Knope have attorneys.

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