SMITHFIELD, N.C.—Methamphetamine, an illegal stimulant made from common household goods, remained a problem in some of North Carolina’s rural counties, according to a recently released State Bureau of Investigation report.

Johnston County ranked third in the state in 2007 with 11 seized labs, trailing only Harnett County with 28 labs and Anson with 14.

Sheriff Steve Bizzell attributed the county’s high ranking to aggressive enforcement. He said a recent law limiting the amount of precursor chemicals used to make meth, like ephedrine, has worked, but not entirely eliminated clandestine labs in the region.

“I would say to my citizens in Johnston County, don’t be alarmed,” he said. “The difference here is, is that we don’t sit idle and do nothing like a lot of the counties, we’re active, proactive, we’ve very aggressive. We go out and do our jobs. We go out looking for the meth labs.”

Sheriff Bizzell said that about 73 warrants were issued in connection with the labs seized in 2007. So far, about 40 Johnston County residents have been arrested in the last year on meth-related charges.

“We have been very active, we’re very aggressive on drugs, drug users, drug makers and drug sellers,” Sheriff Bizzell said. “If it’s illegal, it’s the county line or the county jail, and you better find one of the two.”

According to Noelle Talley, an SBI spokeswoman, about 157 illegal meth labs were discovered statewide in 2007. That’s 20 percent fewer than the year before and half as many as found in 2005.

So far this year, no labs have been seized in Johnston County.