MOULTRIE, Ga. — Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office investigators may wish they had gotten into the Facebook craze earlier, as tips linked to their recently activated web page helped solve two cases in as many weeks.

After a tip two weeks ago helped police catch a car theft suspect, on Friday officers looking to make an arrest in a four-wheeler theft case took three people into custody on various theft and drug charges. They also found a stash ingredients that could be used in making meth, seized about a gram of suspected methamphetamine and solved an unrelated burglary case.

“If it wasn’t for the tip on Facebook, none of that would have been possible,” sheriff’s Inv. Michael Cox said.

Last week the agency asked the public to help find a 2007 Honda 250 four-wheeler stolen from the residence of William Chitty in the 400 block of Chitty Road. The response put Cox on the right trail and came in a timely manner.

“I put this out Wednesday on Facebook,” he said. “Thursday (an) anonymous tip came in. I got an anonymous tip that told me who I needed to talk to.”

Based on that information Cox eventually was able to trace the stolen Honda to Tifton, where it had been sold to an individual.

That in turn led officers at about 1:40 a.m. Friday to the 853 Hopewell Church Road residence of Seth Hamilton Chitty (the victim’s grandson), Carlee Elizabeth Moore and Nicholas Romero, Cox said. During the course of making arrests, officers discovered evidence of more possible criminal activity.

After they requested and received a search warrant they found not only another item reported missing by William Chitty but antique coins, tools, ammunition, women’s jewelry and a Daisy pellet gun believed to have been stolen during a March burglary at the residence of Tonya Mathis in the 500 block of Bonnie Tuk Road.

Nearly all of $2,500 worth of Mathis’ property reported stolen, with the exception of some larger items like televisions, were recovered, sheriff’s Inv. Austin Cannon said.

“We (also) found components and chemical agents commonly associated with the manufacture of meth,” said Inv. Sean Ladson of the office’s Drug Enforcement Team.

Officers also found about a gram of suspected methamphetamine and coffee filters used in the manufacturing process that tested positive for the drug, he said.

All of the items — including a coffee grinder, camp stove fuel, lye, bottles and other items — were found together in a back pack, Ladson said.

Chitty, 27, Moore, 19, and Romero, 27, were each charged with possession of methamphetamine and two counts each of theft by receiving stolen property.

In addition, Moore and Romero each were charged with manufacturing methamphetamine; and Chitty and Romero each were charged with felony theft by taking.

“This was what the whole CID (Criminal Investigative Division) worked together on this Friday,” Cox said. “We appreciate any tips anybody wants to give us.”