BERKELEY COUNTY, SC (WCSC) - Berkeley County deputies say 45 arrests have been made in a 7-month drug investigation which involved multiple law enforcement agencies in the Tri-County area.
Sheriff Duane Lewis stated that 15 of those arrests happened in Berkeley County. More than $106,000, 14 ounces of heroin, 11 pounds of meth and 92 phones were seized during the course of the investigation.
“This isn’t about the street level folks, this is about the real dealers who are hurting people,” Lewis said.
“We wanted to go beyond the street level dealers,” Lewis said. “We want people to know that we are working together to stop the drug problem.”
Lewis says some of the drugs came from the cartels in Mexico.
The group which also included 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson also underlined the seriousness of the drug crisis nationally.
Charleston DEA Agent-in-Charge Jason Sandoval says the community is seeing the worst drug crisis ever and that dealers only contribute to that problem.
“Those who are selling this poison and profiting on the misery of others, while you think you’re gonna continue to get away with sewing the poison and sewing death, it’s going to catch up to you eventually,” he said.
That threat was echoed by the sheriff.
“Look over your shoulder. We’re gonna be there," Lewis said. "You never know who you’re selling to, it might be an undercover agent because we’re not gonna stop.”
Lewis said more arrests will be made.
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