“You can see we’re going to break last year’s record,” Teeselink said.

Teeselink attributed the increase to two things: supply and demand, and increased public awareness.

“There’s a big demand for the meth,” Teeselink said. “And it’s extremely easy to make and it’s profitable.”

Many of the recent seizures have occurred because of tips from the public, Teeselink said.

“We’ve educated the public on what to look for, and we have a toll-free number, I-800-KansasCrime,” Teeselink said.

And so, citizens who’ve noted suspicious trash, such as empty cans of lantern fuel, lye, ammonia, Sudafed, the red sulphur dust from wooden matches, strong smells of ammonia or other chemical odors and sporadic traffic coming and going during the day and night have been calling the hotline.

Also, Teeselink said, the word “lab” when describing places where meth is manufactured, may paint an inaccurate picture.

“When you talk about a lab, you envision people in a sterile situation and white coats,” Teeselink said. “This is extremely the opposite it’s very crude with unsanitary conditions. As far as quality control, there is none.”