BEDFORD COUNTY DRUG SWEEP NETS 20 ARRESTS

Drugs, Cash, Guns And Explosives Were Seized From Those Arrested,
Authorities Say

Bedford County Sheriff's deputies and federal drug agents confiscated
large amounts of methamphetamine, marijuana, crack and powdered
cocaine in a sweep of drug dealers and distributors that has netted 20
arrests since Thursday.

The arrests came as a result of a 10-month undercover narcotics
investigation that targeted middle-to upper-level drug dealers,
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said in a news release.

In one arrest, authorities seized 3 pounds of methamphetamine, also
known as "speed" or "crank," which they suspect was made in a
California laboratory, said Capt. Rick Wiita, an undercover
investigator with the sheriff's office.

While the drug may be fairly common, Wiita said the amount is the
largest he has seen in a single arrest since he began working for the
sheriff's office six years ago.

Wiita said an amount that large has a value of about $70,000 on the
East Coast.

In another arrest, Wiita said 36 pounds of marijuana was
found.

A pound of cocaine and a pound of crack cocaine were seized in other
arrests.

In some instances, Wiita said the dealers were as heavily armed as the
officers who arrested them.

He said about 35 more suspects were scheduled to be arrested before
the drug sweep concludes. In all, 117 federal and state drug
possession, distribution and weapons charges were filed .

The charges were contained in sealed indictments handed down by a
Bedford County grand jury earlier this month.

"We picked up a lot of weapons this time," said Wiita, as well as some
explosives. "One guy we arrested even had some C-4 and was trying to
figure out how to detonate it."

According to Brown's news release, authorities seized 24 firearms,
most of them handguns, along with $10,500 in cash and various amounts
of the hallucinogens LSD and ecstasy, and three painkillers: Lortab,
Percocet and OxyContin.

Further arrests are expected to be made by law enforcement officials
in Roanoke and Roanoke and Franklin counties, according to the
sheriff's office.

Names of the suspects were not available Tuesday.