FANG CLEARS STREETS OF $3.75 MILLION IN DRUGS

A state-run drug team confiscated more than $3.75 million in drugs last
year, the third-highest amount seized in the team's 15-year history.

The Flint Area Narcotics Group also grabbed 20,000 units of LSD and 1,500
units of the drug Ecstasy last year, according to a year-end activity report.

FANG has come under fire in recent months from Genesee County Sheriff
Robert J. Pickell who started his own drug team after saying FANG was
poorly run and concentrates too much of its efforts on lower-level drug
dealers.

State Police Lt. Dennis Woizeschke said FANG arrested 49 mid-to upper-level
dealers last year and arrested a total of 246 people on 369 different
counts. Class 1 drug offenders are people caught with at least 100 pounds
of marijuana or 650 grams or more of cocaine.

Among the other seizures were 677 pounds of marijuana, 50 pounds of
cocaine, 24 long guns and 39 handguns.

Woizeschke said he is pleased with FANG's performance and expects to
maintain those numbers this year.

Pickell declined comment on the FANG results, saying he had not seen the
year-end report.

The sheriff's department drug team got under way earlier this month and is
"going well," Pickell said.

"We're not competing with FANG, we're cooperating," he said.

The two teams have worked together on a couple of cases so far this year,
Woizeschke said.

"It's going as well as can be expected. We've cooperated with other
agencies for 15 years and we'll continue to cooperate," Woizeschke said.