WAUKEGAN POLICE SEIZE 30 IN DRUG SWEEP

Dealing in bars focus of 2-month probe

In a two-month-long covert operation dubbed Operation Snow White, Waukegan
police arrested 30 suspected drug dealers in a concentrated effort to
curtail narcotics traffic throughout the city, authorities said Friday.

"We wanted to publicize this to let drug dealers know we are everywhere
looking for them," Miguel Juarez, Waukegan deputy police chief, said at a
Friday news conference in police headquarters. "We know drugs are out
there. They are in every community. But that doesn't mean we won't do
whatever it takes to stop drug activity in Waukegan."

In May, the department launched Operation Snow White, a name selected as a
reference to powdered cocaine. Four undercover officers, aided by several
informants, focused on drug-dealing in the city's lounges and bars.

Described as a tight crowd by police, the alleged dealers at taverns were
tough to infiltrate because they tended to sell to people they knew or
already had done business with, Juarez said.

Activity in about eight taverns was targeted in the investigation. Juarez
said none of the proprietors knew about the illegal activity or were
arrested.

The alleged drug dealers kept their transactions away from management and
employees of the establishments by completing deals off the property, he
said.

"This was a new approach for us," Juarez said. "Drug dealers are becoming
more and more sophisticated. So they go to bars or lounges and make initial
contact with a prospective buyer, and then make the sale away from the
establishment."

Undercover officers and informants allegedly bought small amounts of
cocaine, marijuana and LSD from those arrested.

"It speaks well for the owners of bars and lounges in Waukegan because they
were not involved in any way," Juarez said. ". . . we plan to continue our
investigation until people are afraid to conduct drug business in our
community."

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)