| WKSR: Archived News |
|
Major Drug Investigation Roundup In Columbia
Posted on December 06, 2012
A wide-ranging drug investigation that began in early April culminated Wednesday in a series of early morning raids by local law enforcement and federal agents in nearby Columbia. The arrests of 29 people, and confiscation of more than $23,000 in cash, 12 vehicles, and a variety of illicit drugs, were taken as part of the raid, Columbia police said.
The arrests followed the Maury County Grand Jury’s indictment Monday of 47 suspects on a variety of drug charges, according to police. Three others were charged in Maury County General Sessions Court.
The roundup, led by the Columbia Police Department’s Narcotics & Vice Division, also involved officers from the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, Maury County Sheriff’s Department, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“We started a roundup yesterday morning about 4:30 a.m.,” Lt. Robin Howell of the Columbia Police Narcotics & Vice Division said Wednesday evening, “and within probably eight hours we had the majority of those indicted, 28 of 50. We are still looking for the others.
“They’re entered into the National Crime Information Center computer, So if they’re stopped anywhere in the country they will raise a flag, and if they’re within a reasonable distance we’ll extradite them back to Columbia to face prosecution.” Howell added.
Howell said that although several suspects had local gang affiliations, the subjects were not part of an organized cartel.
“It was not necessarily a big organized group,” Howell said. “It was a roundup of multiple individuals in Columbia selling illicit drugs.”
All of those arrested are being held in the Maury County Jail without bond.
|
|
