Big Sky Blog

A Kalispell man was arrested Friday for allegedly attempting to board a commercial airplane with a meth lab.
Steven K. Konopatzke, 43, reportedly carried the components for making methamphetamine in carry-on luggage. Security workers reportedly also found sulfuric acid in Konopatzke’s checked luggage. A law officer with the Northwest Drug Task Force said Konopatzke denied that the items were his and said he had picked up the bags from a friend he wouldn’t identify. The officer said gray crystals in Konopatzke’s bag are thought to be iodine. Also found was a substance tested as ephedrine (a component used in making methamphetamine), a white powder analyzed as a diet pill and another white crystalline substance. The officer said Konopatzke also carried coffee filters, pieces of hose, clamps and balloons — all are used to make the illegal stimulant.