Tougher laws and aggressive enforcement seem to have curbed the number of methamphetamine labs around the state, but the drug continues to flow into Washington from other areas, police say.

"There is still plenty of meth out there," King County sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart said. "It's just the source is different."

Still, some authorities say they're glad to see fewer of the toxic drug labs that are so difficult to clean up.

Figures from 2006 confirm a five-year trend of declining meth labs and related dump sites across the state. Ecology Department cleanup teams handled 390 such sites in 2006, down from 806 in 2005.

Authorities say a law restricting the sale of over-the-counter medicines used to make meth has been a major factor in the declining number of labs.

The law, which took effect in 2006, requires retailers to put cold medicines containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine behind the counter. People under 18 are not allowed to buy them, and stores must keep a log of customers who do buy them.

Police also say meth-related crimes are shifting into new areas. Identity theft and mail theft are becoming a problem, along with the theft of metals, particularly copper wire stolen from utility poles and construction sites.

In response, the King County Sheriff's Office is scaling back its 18-person lab response team and beefing up its fraud investigations unit.