Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jan 2002
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2002 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.oklahoman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Author: Robert Medley

OFFICERS MADE FEWER BUSTS IN 2001, TASK FORCE REPORTS

Drug and cash busts in Oklahoma City dropped last year, but the seizures 
uncovered several nationwide drug trafficking networks. For 2001, the task 
force seized 846 pounds of marijuana, 218 pounds of cocaine, 14.5 pounds of 
methamphetamine and $628,151 in cash. Officers wrote 3,769 tickets.

In 2000, officers seized about 2,000 pounds of marijuana, 400 pounds of 
cocaine and about $2.5 million in cash.

The summary of drug busts made by the Central Oklahoma Metro Interdiction 
Team, a task force organized by the Oklahoma County district attorney's 
office, was released Thursday.

"We had a successful year because of the amount of drugs we took off the 
streets," task force director Larry Baker said.

The stops have led to drug trafficking investigations nationwide and have 
uncovered drug-trafficking networks linking the East Coast, West Coast, 
Mexico and Canada.

The task force, consisting of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County law 
officers, patrols portions of major interstate highways in Oklahoma City.

Baker said the task force puts law officers in specially marked cars 
positioned to make traffic stops when driving violations are noticed. The 
stops can lead to searches if an officer becomes suspicious.

It's difficult to compare the success of the program by looking at numbers, 
Baker said.

On Oct. 17, officers seized 131 pounds of cocaine worth about $6 million on 
Interstate 35.

Baker said on one day in 2000, officers found about $700,000 in drug money 
inside a car that was stopped for a traffic violation.

The most recent stop by the task force will be included in the 2002 
statistics. On Friday night, officers stopped a car on Interstate 35 at 
Hefner Road. The first bust of the year netted 213 pounds of marijuana.

Baker said other law agencies in the state, such as the Oklahoma Highway 
Patrol, did a good job patrolling streets and interstates last year, which 
may have resulted in fewer drugs to find in Oklahoma City.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart