120 Arrested in Massive Methamphetamine Bust
Johnson County, Indianapolis is doing its part to fight the war on drugs, using over 200 officers from over 10 counties to arrest 120 methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin dealers wanted on felony charges. Making good on its promise the last time they reeled in 63 offenders, Prosecutor Bradley Cooper said, "if you are going to deal drugs in Johnson County, law enforcement here is going to go after you, find you and arrest you."
Methamphetamine Usage Back in the Mainstream
Meth usage is on the rise in the Midwest. Counties all across the area are banning together to fight this epidemic. In nearby Ohio, the Ohio High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) has seen a sizeable jump in meth usage, and meth seizures, over the past few years. Their theory? So much emphasis has been placed on the opioid crisis that meth has gone mainstream again. Meth dealers believe that their users are less likely to die from an overdose, which naturally curtails purchases, but they also believe they can fly under the police radar, given the current emphasis on opioids. But HIDTA isn't fooled, and is very much focused on drug, not just opioid, addiction.
Simple Supply and Demand
Southern Indiana is also using a rise in meth usage, but they have a different theory, based on simple economics. The purity, and hence potency, of meth has increased exponentially over the past decade in the form of crystal meth. Recently, the price has seen drastic reductions due to increased supply coming from south of the U.S. border. In southern Indiana, this trend of increased supply and decreased price, leading to higher usage, has been increasing over the past two years. In fact, Clarksville Police Capt. Joel DeMoss states that his department has seen the price of crystal meth decrease to about $20 per gram, down from around $100 a few years ago. It's hard to argue with the invisible hand of Supply and Demand, especially when you need to get high, and you really don't care how.
If you or someone you love has been arrested for possessing or dealing meth, don't be fooled into thinking prosecutors are only interested in opioids. That ship has sailed, and now the focus is on all drugs. Don't delay. Contact a local criminal defense attorney to get your best defense started. The sooner, the better.
Related Resources:
- Find a Criminal Defense Lawyer Near You (FindLaw Lawyer's Directory)
- Magic Meth Kingdom: DEA Seizes $2M Worth of Drugs in Disney Figurines (FindLaw Legally Weird)
- Underground Drug Trafficker 'OxyMonster' Sentenced to 20 Years (FindLaw Blotter)
