Meth bust in Claremore lands several residents in jail

Claremore Police say a strong chemical smell led them to a house with a full-fledged meth lab, as well as explosives and bomb-making materials. <br><br>But that's not what bothers them the most. News

Tuesday, September 17th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Claremore Police say a strong chemical smell led them to a house with a full-fledged meth lab, as well as explosives and bomb-making materials.

But that's not what bothers them the most. News on Six reporter Steve Berg says police are use to meth, and bombs are more unusual. But the most surprising thing they found is also the most innocent.

Neighbor Richard Bean says he had no idea what was going on at the tidy-looking duplex next door. In fact he says he slept through nearly the entire bust. "I talked to them this morning when I first got up because the bomb squad was parked right here, we didn't even know."

Police chief Mickey Perry says they're still not sure why the group was making explosives. "There were some devices, apparently homemade, and they did have some pamphlets to instruct them how to make some of that. But there were several different things to make explosive devices." Besides meth and explosives inside the house, police say they were even more surprised to find two small children.

â€œNot only was it a residential section, not only was it a meth lab, not only was there explosives, but there was two children in there. And to have all of this around children is really bothersome to us."

Richard Bean, "We let the kids play with their little boy, they played up and down the sidewalk here all the time."