Recent drug arrests cause for concern among law enforcement agencies - WECT
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - Law enforcement agencies in southeastern North Carolina have seen multiple drug-related arrests in recent weeks, leading officials to offer a word of warning about the amount of drugs that could still be out in the community.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has taken nearly 90 grams of meth and other drugs off of the streets since February through a combination of investigations and traffic stops.
“It’s definitely an issue and the biggest game changer in it is fentanyl,” said Lt. Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. “We have a lot of people right now purchasing what they believe is heroin when, in fact, it’s fentanyl. So, that’s why we’re having a lot of issues but, that being said, that’s why we’ve had these arrests.”
Fentanyl is so deadly, it can kill with just a small dose or even exposure.
“Unfortunately for the fentanyl that’s in the area — it’s plentiful, so that’s a bad thing and we want to make sure we get that off the streets as well,” Brewer said.
The Sheriff’s Office has specific protocols in place for when deputies come in contact with any substance that could potentially be laced with fentanyl.
“Our detectives once they come in contact with [fentanyl], or the patrol officers, when they come in contact with what they believe may be that — it’s not handled in the field,” Brewer said. “It is handled by technicians that we have trained here who will test it and determine what it is.”
Drugs are not the only thing law enforcement officials have seized in theses recent arrests. Multiple illegal and/or stolen guns have been taken over the past few weeks.
“Pretty much goes hand-in-hand,” said Brewer. “When you find drugs you find either stolen guns or illegal guns. It’s not always the case but, for the most part, it is. And just like with this arrest we saw that as well as a gun that was stolen, guns that are in possession by a felon, things like that.”
Officials hope this recent string of arrests will help to make the Cape Fear region a safer place.
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source: https://www.wect.com/2022/03/19/recent-drug-arrests-cause-concern-among-law-enforcement-agencies/
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