Undercover drug op nets suspected dealers

Starting in January, undercover narcotics detectives and patrol officers infiltrated the Harper’s Choice and Wilde Lake communities posing as drug users, said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn.

However, “no new information came to light about the flow of drugs,” she said Thursday, referring to how the drugs come into the county or who supplies them to the street-level dealers.

Police arrested a total of 25 people  18 on charges of marijuana possession, two on cocaine possession charges, one on charges of both marijuana and cocaine possession, and the remainder with various charges including theft.

“The goal here was to send a message to the dealers and the users and community members that this is unacceptable. This was more about identifying areas of concern and staying on top of those areas,” she said.

Police executed five search warrants, and of the 25 suspects arrested, four were juveniles, Llewellyn said. The majority were from Columbia.

Police have not released figures on the quantity of drugs seized, Llewellyn said.

Detectives launched the investigation after receiving complaints and information from residents concerned about an increase in illegal drug activity in Harper’s Choice and Wilde Lake.

Some community members said the sting was reminiscent of Operation Clean Sweep, an 18-month investigation into the sale and distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine and firearms in Columbia that ended in 2004.

That investigation led to the arrest or indictment of 36 suspects, including several who were charged with supplying dealers with large quantities of cocaine.

The police have “done a good job of coming through here and working with the community, but drug use still exists, to an extent,” said Bill Santos, a Wilde Lake resident who is running to represent his village board on the Columbia Association Board of Directors.

Anyone with information on drug sale and use in the community should call 410-290-DRUG.

jpalazzolo@baltimoreexaminer.com