SIX DETROIT POLICE INDICTED ON DRUG CHARGES

DETROIT - Six Detroit police officers were indicted by a
federal grand jury on drug and civil rights violations for allegedly
collecting drug money and robbing narcotics dealers, federal
prosecutors said Friday.

The indictments came after a year-long probe of the Fifth Precinct on
the city's east side and one of the most sweeping investigation's in
Detroit's history.

FBI agents interviewed all 170 officers at the precinct after
Detroit Police Chief Benny Napoleon received a letter detailing the
allegations from an officer stationed there.

``It is alleged that they engaged in a pattern of unlawful conduct
which included unlawful searches, unlawful detentions, thefts,
robberies, and the use of excessive force,'' U.S. attorney Saul Green
said in a statement.

``Three of the officers are charged with using their position as
police officers to further drug trafficking by, among other things,
providing protection to two drug organizations,'' he added.

The indictments were issued Tuesday but had been sealed until Friday
when officials arrested the six officers, four of whom had served on
the force since 1986.

Conspiracy against rights is a federal crime that carries a maximum
sentence of 10 years and/or a fine of up to $250,000. Conspiracy to
distribute controlled substances is a federal crime punishable by up
to 20 years and/or a fine of up to $1 million.

More than two dozen police officers from precincts across Detroit have
been charged with corruption over the past two years.