KNOX COUNTY, LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – A collaborative investigation by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office has led to the discovery of methamphetamine and DMT labs in Laurel County. According to a release, the investigation began on October 23, 2024, as the Knox County Sheriff’s Office followed up on a burglary in the Girdler community that uncovered links to a property in Laurel County. The release says Knox County deputies identified the residence on Old Way Rd. in London, belonging to Doug Simons and his father, Robert Simons, as a location where firearms stolen in the burglary were allegedly stored. A search of the property, conducted with Laurel County deputies, resulted in the seizure of two stolen firearms and the discovery of methamphetamine, morphine tablets, a methamphetamine lab, and a DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) lab. Robert Wayne Simons, 48, was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree trafficking in controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia. An arrest warrant has been issued for Doug Simons, who has not yet been located. According to the release, this is believed to be the first DMT lab seizure for both Knox and Laurel counties. DMT is a powerful hallucinogen similar to LSD and psilocybin, known for inducing intense, short-lived visual hallucinations. Sheriff Mike Smith of Knox County and Sheriff John Root of Laurel County have issued a warning to residents regarding the potential dangers of DMT, which can be smoked, snorted, ingested, or injected. The release states the Laurel County Drug Interdiction Task Force assisted in securing the labs, and DEA chemists from Maryland processed the evidence. The minimum federal sentence is 15 years for possessing at least 14 grams of DMT. Further federal charges are anticipated as lab analysis is completed. Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: Burglary, crime, DMT, Investigation, Knox County, Laurel County, local news, Meth Labs, News