Three people – including one who pled last month to manufacturing meth – were arrested Monday night at a Loango meth lab.

Drug Task Force commander Mark Odom said Tuesday agents had received information from concerned citizens about a “strange odor” coming from the home over the weekend. He said when agents arrived, they could tell the exact origin of the complaints about the Rosin Ridge Road home.

“The smell was described as a chemical odor,” Odom said. “In most cases, when we receive this type of reports, it leads us to a meth lab, and (in this case), it did.”

Odom said when agents knocked on the door, they were greeted by not only 20-year-old Brittany Johnson, but also the odor people were complaining about.

“They also could see a cloudy haze inside the home,” Odom said. “Agents conducted a safety sweep of the home to remove any occupants and located Chase Brogden Taylor and Larry Parrish inside.”

A search of the home revealed pseudoephedrine pills, finished product methamphetamine, muriatic acid, more than 500 grams of meth oil, a pseudoephedrine extraction, methamphetamine smoking devices, medical syringes containing methamphetamine residue, digital scales and various other chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

“While searching the outside area of the home, agents discovered other components used to manufacture meth in a cooler buried in the backyard,” Odom said. “Inside it was ammonium nitrate, caustic soda, razor blades, a pill crusher, acetone and a propane burner.”

Odom said the resurgence of meth labs reminds him of the “old days.”

“We are working more and more meth labs,” he said. “It’s just like the old days, except now we have less resources to fight the war on drugs. The statewide budget cuts to law enforcement have taken away many of the tools we need to do our jobs. We will continue to fight as hard as we can, but I don’t know how long we can keep up with one hand tied behind ou

r back.”

Taylor, Parrish and Johnson were each charged with trafficking, manufacturing a controlled substance I and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were booked into the county jail and held on a $790,000 bond.

Star-News archives show Taylor pled guilty in February to unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance II. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with an 18-month reverse split, which meant he was given probation for 18 months and then re-petition the court to remain probation for the remainder of the sentence.