KAY COUNTY RAIDS RESULT IN 28 DRUG-RELATED

Arrests

NEWKIRK -- Authorities made additional drug arrests Friday after raiding
several houses in three Kay County cities.

Officers arrested 28 people on a variety of drug charges. Two will be
charged with additional counts of using minors, ages 15 and 16, in the
illegal drug trade, said Bruce Surber, an assistant Kay County district
attorney.

One man allegedly sold marijuana to minors, he said. A woman allegedly gave
her cocaine to a minor, apparently hoping authorities would not search the
child.

Many of the arrests involved selling or possessing crack cocaine or
marijuana, Surber said. Most of the arrests occurred in Ponca City, he
said. Other arrests were made in Tonkawa and Blackwell after a six- month
investigation.

Most of the arrests were the result of citizen tips, Surber said.

The biggest drug seizures were a pound of marijuana at one house and a
package of methamphetamine already prepared for individual sales, he said.

Several law agencies in a multi-county drug force conducted early-morning
raids Thursday and made follow-up arrests Friday, he said.

The task force was set up with the help of money from the U.S. Justice
Department.

More arrests are possible, Surber said.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan