Louisiana police department offers to test drug users' meth for the Zika virus for free

A Louisiana police department is ready to lend a helping hand to secure methamphetamine from the ravages of a mosquito-borne disease.

Harahan Police Department issued a tongue-in-cheek warning on its Facebook page directing Louisiana meth users to bring in their supply for authorities to test for the Zika virus.

'If you have recently purchased meth in any area of Louisiana it may be contaminated with the Zika Virus,' the Facebook post by Officer Keith Moody cautions. 

'Please bring all of it to your local Police Department and they will test it for free If you're not comfortable coming to us, an officer will be glad to come to you and test your Meth in the privacy of your home.'  

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'Please spread the word! We’re available 24/7/365. Be Safe!' the faux warning on Facebook posted by Officer Keith Moody reads

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Headquarters of Harahan Police Department in Louisiana. The joking Facebook post offered to come to people's homes to check their meth if individuals couldn't make it to the department

Zika usually causes mild symptoms of fevers, headaches, rash and joint pain, but it can also cause significant birth defects if contracted during a pregnancy. 

The disease can be transmitted by mosquitoes, through sex and in blood transfusions according to the CDC with no word of meth being a carrier. 

That has not stopped the Harahan police from attempting to get an advantage in the war on drugs in their city.

'Although the post was originally a lighthearted attempt at humor, a lot of great (and incredibly raw) intelligence can be cultivated from the comments,' Officer Keith Moody who made the post told ABC News. 

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Officer Keith Moody believes a lot of intelligence can be found in the comments on his Facebook post

Blatant ruses have been used by law enforcement before. A Texas police department joke similarly warned about meth being contaminated with Ebola in 2016. A woman allegedly on meth at the time named Chastity Hopson asked that her drugs be tested.

The Granite Shoals Police Department in Texas received a wave of negative comments for exposing Hopson publicly after the incident, but the comments seem to be what the Harahan police want to see.

'There is a lot of great information obtained by reading threads,' Moody said. 'Criminals have a tendency to say/do some pretty incriminating behavior when given the opportunity to "blow off."'   

Officer Moody also noted that the epidemic of methamphetamine and opioid abuse in Louisiana was not slowing down and that the issue was alarming.