Federal officials and Springfield police say the availability of synthetic drugs in the area has dropped significantly since some shop owners were indicted in December.
Before the indictments, law enforcement had trouble disrupting the synthetic drug trade in Springfield region because the developers could quickly alter the drugs' chemicals just enough to avoid prosecution.
Twenty-one people who owned or operated businesses in the Springfield region were indicted in December after a local and federal investigation into the synthetic drug trade. It was the first time anyone had been charged in the region for distributing K2 or bath salts near Springfield.
The Springfield News-Leader says drug enforcement officers acknowledge the demand for synthetic drugs continues but they say supply seems to have tightened.
