'A large and complex' heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine pill press operation in the Berea section of Greenville County has been dismantled, according to Bart McEntire, the commander of the Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. After a monthslong investigation investigators served a search warrant Thursday on a home on North Oak Forest Drive, McEntire said. He said the investigation began after investigators learned of a potential desktop-type pill press being utilized to produce tablet forms of heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine. McEntire said “The tablets were being sold across the Greenville area. The spread of these pills trafficked across Greenville County is frightening when you think of the potential health risks to users and the sheer number of fentanyl pills being uncovered by law enforcement is alarming. The Greenville County law enforcement community takes the deadly distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine seriously and pill forms of these drugs heightens the concern.” McEntire said he has great concern on the rise of the “garage manufacturers," who he says are people who with little to no background in any avenue of chemistry or science and with no regard to human life, manufacture pills for profit. "These 'garage chemists' could kill unsuspecting members of our community not only in Greenville County, but across the U.S. Pill presses lack any level of real control and are easily purchased through the use of the internet," McEntire said. The desktop pill press seized by law enforcement is capable of producing 3,000 to 5,000 tablets an hour.McEntire said investigators at the home found an operational pill press machine that showed signs of having been operated for months. "The walls and flooring where the machine was being used was covered with a green- colored powder emanating from the use of binding agents being used in the manufacturing process," McEntire said. "Investigators determined the health risk raised to a level where assistance from the SC National Guard Civil Response Team (CRT) was asked to respond." After a lengthy series of tests and sampling, the home was deemed safe enough for investigators to complete the processing of the residence for evidence of narcotics trafficking, McEntire said. However, investigators still were required to wear protective suits and masks while processing the scene, he said. Investigators said they also found a substantial quantity of finished tablets that tested for heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine, two firearms, including a pistol stolen from Mauldin, money, magnesium stearate, dermabond baby blue powder, masks, caffeine bottles and bottles of other compression binders. Latravic Bigby and Vanhorren Hor were both charged with trafficking in methamphetamine 200g-400g and trafficking heroin over 28 grams, McEntire said. “The spread of opioid based drugs and methamphetamine has accelerated at an already deadly epidemic in Greenville County,” said Sheriff Johnny Mack Brown. "Dangerous synthetics such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, simply put, will kill unwitting individuals. It’s critical that we get unregistered pill presses off the street and hold these bad characters responsible for pushing these illegal drugs.”