10 arrested in Columbia crackdown
Yearlong undercover investigation results in 27 indictments and 10 arrests.
March 11, 2008
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The Columbia Police Department indicted 27 people and arrested 10 for the distribution of a controlled substance Friday, putting a dent in the city’s illicit crack-cocaine, cocaine and marijuana trade, police said.
The arrests were the culmination of a two-month undercover operation undertaken by the department to combat citizen complaints of open-air crack sales in their neighborhoods.
CPD Narcotics Unit leader Lt. Scott Young said the operation went smoothly and “there were no major issues during the arrests.”
The undercover operation fell under the umbrella of a yearlong investigation into the city’s drug trade.
“We are trying to stop these open-air crack sales,” Young said. “These types of deals are linked to most of the shootings we have in town.”
The suspects arrested Friday ranged in age from 18 to 32 and all had been previously arrested prior to Friday.
Young said his unit “did not even know the names of the people we were arresting.”
While Young did not classify the suspects as heavy-hitters in Columbia’s drug trade, he did say he was satisfied with the results of Friday’s roundup.
“These people will sell stuff to anyone that will buy it from them,” Young said.
While five of the ten suspects arrested were charged with distribution of a controlled substance near a school, Young didn’t think they were selling predominately to students.
“Those arrests were made near an elementary school,” Young said. “I don’t think we have an elementary crack problem in this city.”
Nine suspects remain at-large in the case and eight more who were charged Friday were already incarcerated.
“The warrants are in the system for those at large,” Young said. “They know they’re wanted. It’s just a matter of police officers being aware.”
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