The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
Five people were arrested on many serious charges when multiple agencies in Massachusetts organized a sting operation in an attempt to crack down on individuals who openly sell narcotics in public spaces.
According to reports, the authorities have been focusing on the amount of illicit drugs they believe are being sold on the streets. The Holyoke Police Narcotics Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Massachusetts State Police Gang Unit West, Massachusetts State Police S.A.F.E. Task Force, and Hampden County District Attorney’s Narcotics Task Force teamed up and planned a sting in the open-air drug market spots in Holyoke.
When agents began the operation on June 2, they successfully arrested five individuals they believed were involved. The first two, identified as local men ages 33 and 30, were allegedly seen making what looked like drug sales transactions on a street in the center of downtown. When the 33-year-old was searched, the authorities reported that they found 10 bags holding a substance they believed was heroin. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to violate drug law, distribution of a Class A drug, and possession of a Class B drug. They also believed the 30-year-old, who left in a vehicle before he was taken into custody during a traffic stop nearby, was involved in the operation. He has been accused of distribution of a Class A drug and conspiracy to violate drug law.