The Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Albany Fire Department and the Clinton County EMS were called to the scene of what started out as a potential meth lab in the back of a vehicle and turned into the need to call the Kentucky State Police Bomb Squad Unit on Tuesday of last week.

KSP Trooper Jason Warinner made the initial traffic stop at ACE Hardware in South Albany.

After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, Warinner found what appeared to be an explosive device along with components to make methamphetamine.

Sheriff Jim Guffey said his office received a tip from Facebook that there was a meth lab in the back of a vehicle.

“We started our work from there,” Guffey said. “We obtained enough information to obtain a search warrant on the vehicle and the residence. Trooper Warinner found the vehicle first and pulled it over at ACE Hardware. During Warinner’s search of the vehicle, he found items used to make meth and what appeared to be a pipe bomb.”

Guffey said there wasn’t a meth lab in the vehicle, but there were components used in a meth lab. He said the generator was missing from the vehicle which classified it as not being an active meth lab.

“The generator was not there, but everything else was there,” Guffey said.

At the time of the search, Guffey said every indication was there that there was in fact a pipe bomb in the vehicle.

“I contacted the Albany Chief of Police Ernest Guffey, EMS Director Lonnie Scott, the Albany Fire Department. Trooper Warinner contacted the bomb squad and they were put in route. Once the bomb squad got here they did an X-ray of the object and determined it was an actual bomb.”

When the bomb squad knew a little more about the device, the special unit set up another device that was used to blow the cap off of the pipe bomb.

“Once the cap was off, we found pyrodex and black powder, along with marbles inside the pipe,” Guffey said. “The marbles would have been used as shrapnel.”

Guffey said Trooper Warinner and Kentucky State Police officer Tony Wells handled the meth lab aspect of the incident and Guffey took possession of the pipe bomb and sent it off for fingerprint testing.

During the course of the investigation, a search warrant for a residence was also obtained and Guffey also said there were components to make meth at the house.

“The search warrant was executed by Sheriff’s Deputies David Bookout and Chris McGuffin while I was processing the scene with the bomb,” Guffey said.

Police arrested Brian Martin, 42, and Jacqueline Martin, 38, and both were charged with manufacturing methamphetamine first offense, possession of a controlled substance first degree, first offense, unlawful possession of meth precursor, criminal possession of a destructive device or booby trap device and possession of drug paraphernalia.

“There is a lot of investigation that needs to be done,” Guffey said. “Everything went really well. Everyone worked well together, city, state, fire department and EMS.”

Guffey said the drugs are still out on the streets and that no one will ever completely get rid of them, but he said they are doing everything they can to deter drug traffic.

“The meth labs themselves are slowing down, but meth isn’t,” Guffey said. “We can’t really stop it. It’s being brought in here already made because it’s cheaper to buy it that way.”

The war on drugs in Clinton County and throughout the country is being fought everyday. Guffey said his department is trying to do their part by talking to contacts and following up on whatever tips they receive.

“Anything we come across, we will investigate and make arrests when necessary,” Guffey said. “I wanted to thank all the agencies who helped out Tuesday. We couldn’t have done it without them. The best thing was nobody was hurt and the danger was taken off the streets.”

Clinton County Sheriff Jim Guffey, left, confers with Kentucky State Police officers Jason Warinner and Tony Wells, left, during an investigation that involved the discovery of a pipe bomb and methampheamine ingrediants in the vehicle shown above.