The Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, serving Vernon, St. Clair, Cherokee and Barton Counties is to be honored by the Missouri Narcotics Officer's Association as the state drug task force of the year.

CNET was chosen for this honor out of 29 Missouri drug task forces.

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The agency was established in January 2007 by the sheriff's offices in Barton, Vernon and St. Clair counties, later bringing Cherokee County into the operation, and works as a multi-jurisdictional task force focusing on the elimination of illegal narcotic use and manufacturing in southwest Missouri, primarily methamphetamine.

Since its origination, CNET has been responsible for the seizure of approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine, three indoor marijuana grows, 35 meth labs, 10 pounds of marijuana, more than $100,000 in cash, five vehicles and thousands of dollars worth of stolen property.

Most recently CNET officers became part of a March 5, 36-hour, multi-state operation named Byrne Blitz, which ended with 36 drug related arrests and the seizure of seven meth labs, eight hand guns, 18 rifles, 15 grams of meth and two marijuana grows.

Missouri continues to be the number one state in America for the manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine. According to numbers released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri reported 1,285 meth lab seizures in 2007. This is more than double the amount seized in the number two state -- Indiana -- which had 620 lab seizures.

Representatives of CNET will be receiving the award an March 26 in Jefferson City.