From Deseret News archives:
6 are arrested in large drug ring supplying Utah County
Police say the group was responsible for distributing a staggering amount of drugs. More disturbingly, their main clients were between the ages of 17 and 21. At least 80 percent of the clients, according to one undercover narcotics investigator, were from Utah County.
The six people who were arrested worked for part of a larger group that investigators believe has about 60 members and is organized in almost a paramilitary way. The group has generals who make sure cocaine and heroin gets into the hands of suppliers, who in turn have "runners" make the actual drug sales. This particular group worked almost exclusively in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.
Each person arrested was selling an average of 750 small balloons filled with cocaine or heroin each day, according to a West Jordan undercover narcotics detective. The group as a whole was selling an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 balloons per day and raking in $50,000 to $150,000, said the detective.
"They were everywhere, in front of grocery stores, restaurants, in front of schools ... " the detective said.
A runner would then sweep the parking lot and spot the "waiters," each acknowledging the other with a head nod. The waiters would then follow the runners around the corner to a nearby neighborhood, where the drug deal would actually happen.
It's a problem not unique to Sandy or even Salt Lake City.
"I don't think it's a problem exclusive to Pioneer Park," said the sergeant over the Sandy Police Departments' narcotics unit who also works undercover.
Taylorsville police first reported having the exact same problem nearly three years ago. They were finding numerous carloads of young adults sitting in parking lots, waiting to make a drug deal. The heroin problem started to receive media attention about the same time following the heroin overdose deaths of at least four teens.
Recent comments
Good work guys. Good work.
russ | March 27, 2008 at 6:35 p.m.
I've always said pyramid schemes never work.
John | March 27, 2008 at 11:25 a.m.
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