Pubdate: Fri, 27 Jan 2006
Source: Sampson Independent, The (NC)
Copyright: 2006, The Sampson Independent
Contact:  http://www.clintonnc.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1704
Author: Editor Sherry Matthews

MONDAY'S DRUG BUST NEEDS TO OPEN OUR EYE

Monday's multi-million dollar cocaine bust is significant and for many reasons.

It's significant in that it shows yet again how diligent our law 
enforcement officers are in tracking down suspected drug dealers and 
shutting down their operation. Over the past few years, and 
particularly in the last few months, we've seen more and more 
suspects taken into custody and larger and larger amounts of drugs 
seized, along with money and oftentimes weapons.

We continue to praise local law enforcement officers for their 
diligence in working every lead, looking underneath every rock and 
persistently tracking down those believed to be responsible for 
traffficking in large amounts of marijuna and cocaine, and them 
attempting to break the kilos down into smaller quantities to sell to 
our friends, family and neighbors.

The confiscation of 200 kilos of cocaine and the arrest of two 
Sampson County men also shows the cooperation law enforcement 
officers from various counties and different agencies, including the 
federal Drug Enforcement Administration, can work together for a 
common cause -- removing drugs from our streets and drug dealers from 
our midst.

It takes that kind of multi-county and multi-agency cooperation to 
make the kind of impact that is needed against drug trafficking. 
That's proven by what happened this week, how much of the illegal 
substance was confiscated and how many agencies it took to pull off 
such a huge bust.

The bust is also significant because it serves to show us how much 
Sampson County is used to move large quanities of drugs both around 
our communities and in and out our borders into neighboring counties 
and onto interstate highways.

Unfortunately, that means we can no longer bury our heads in the sand 
and pretend we don't have a drug problem and that drug dealers aren't 
in and out of our neighborhoods each and every day.

They are.

But we can be comforted in knowing we have law enforcement officers 
who are determined to shut down their operations and return 
neighborhoods to those who live there, giving them the chance, once 
again, to live without the fear that many are now experiencing.

While Monday's drug bust should send us multiple messages about what 
is happening in our county, we hope it sends an even stronger message 
to drug dealers intent on using our county to ply their trade and 
move their product. That message -- you may deal drugs in this 
county, but sooner or later our officers will track you down, shut 
down your operation and haul you off the streets into our jail.

Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happened just a few nights 
ago and, if you're a drug dealer, understand that your turn is coming. Soon.

Editor Sherry Matthews
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman