By Lori Kersey [email protected]
More than 50 people face federal or state drug charges in what law enforcement agencies are calling the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history.
Will Thompson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, announced the drug bust with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies during a news conference Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Charleston.
A federal grand jury returned three indictments charging 30 people for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl in Charleston, officials said. Twenty-four other people were charged in state criminal complaints.
Eight people charged in the investigation were yet to be arrested Wednesday afternoon.
The exact weight of the drug seizure was not available Wednesday but the amount totaled “significantly” more than 200 pounds, Thompson told reporters. The previous highest amount in a methamphetamine bust, as far as officials could determine, was 150 pounds, he said.
In addition, law enforcement recovered 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, at least 18 firearms and several hundred dollars in cash, Thompson said.
The drugs were found in various quantities over the course of an eight-month investigation. Thompson said the investigation involved more than 50 federal search warrants and included 250 law enforcement personnel. …