THOMASVILLE — “Tweek,” “ice,” and “cotton candy” are among the many names probably heard on the streets as drug agents combat methamphetamine. 

The Thomas County/Thomasville Narcotics/Vice Division unit is continuing to recover the drug when executing search warrants, according to Louis Schofill, drug squad commander.    

“Meth continues to be our number one problem here in Thomas County,” Schofill said. 

In June arrests to date, the drug squad has had 14 methamphetamine cases. Since January, the Thomas County/Thomasville Narcotics/Vice Division has made 59 meth arrests. 

The prevalence of methamphetamine, Schofill said, has to do with the drug’s immense “supply and demand.” 

“There’s a lot of it out there,” he added of the drug. 

The drug, based on current intelligence, has been pinpointed to be shipped initially from Mexico’s “saturated” meth market, the drug squad commander said. 

From Mexico, Schofill continued, the drug has been traced to Atlanta — the “main hub.” Arriving in “finished form” and “liquid form,” the drug often is transformed into the crystal ice form, according to Schofill. 

The meth is then distributed across the eastern United States, to places such as Thomas County.  

Because of the increasing availability of the drug, Schofill pointed out, a local meth lab arrest hasn’t occurred in more than two years.  

With the increasing numbers of meth arrests this year so far, Schofill said, the joint drug unit is going to “just stay on top of it as much as we can.” 

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.