Police arrest 36 on drug charges tied to a Minnesota trafficking ring.
An unsanctioned supervised injection site operating in the U.S. was studied by researchers in a paper published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on Aug 8, 2017. Above is a representative image of a man injecting himself with heroin using a needle obtained from the People's Harm Reduction Alliance, the nation's largest needle-exchange program, in Seattle on April 30, 2015. REUTERS

KEY POINTS

  • More than 30 people arrested in connection with a region-wide drug trafficking operation
  • More than 2 pounds of meth and a pound of heroin mixed with fentanyl seized
  • Authorities say more arrests are possible

Police in Minnesota announced that 35 people were arrested in connection to a region-wide drug trafficking operation and that more arrests were possible.

Duluth police officials said they coordinated with federal, state and local law enforcement in operations that began Tuesday and led to 35 arrests. During the operation, authorities seized roughly 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine and 1 pound of heroin mixed with fentanyl, a powerful opioid.

“Logistically, it was the biggest thing that we’ve ever done,” Duluth Police Lt. Jeff Kazel said Thursday at a press conference.

Police estimate the ring sold as much as $1 million in illicit drugs this year. Court documents show the group was led by 36-year-old Ricky Osborne from Minnesota. He has a prior arrest on drug charges.

The criminal complaint against Osborne alleged the Minnesota group had ties to a gang in Chicago. The complaint alleges members “conspired to make their mixtures of heroin and fentanyl stronger, to make it more appealing to their consumer base, and make it stronger than what their competition is selling.”

Authorities said there were outstanding warrants for 10 other people in connection with the drug-trafficking ring. As with most of the others involved, Osborne is charged with six felony drug crimes.

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