GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Mount Holly police, the Gaston County Police Department and federal agents concluded a 6-month investigation by arresting dozens of drug suspects on hundreds of charges Friday morning in Gaston County.
The investigation dubbed "Operation Black Cat" ended with 500 charges against 37 suspects for a variety of drug sales.
The operation kicked off around 7 a.m. as federal and state agents turned Tuckaseegee Park into their base of operations.
Police caught about half of them in the first three hours of the roundup on Friday. Some are suspected of dealing within 1,000 feet of a day care and parks.
Most of those targeted are street dealers, but they’re the ones police want captured.
"The offenders are getting more brazen. We are still going through arrest reports, but we have learned that at least one of suspects is accused of dealing near Woodlawn Park," Gaston County Police Capt. Suzanne Mauney-Smith said.
Neighbors are thrilled about the roundup.
"It needed to happen," Shay Green said.
Green can see the park from her home and she has family members nearby.
"I have young cousins everywhere, and they go to that park," Green said.
Police said that anywhere drug dealers set up shop, crime normally follows.
"If we didn't have the low-level dealers and the mid-level dealers we could put the high-level dealers out of business," Mauney-Smith said.
Lancaster Co. authorities round up dozens in drug bust
Nearly 70 people in a rural county are facing serious drug charges.
Officers from the Lancaster County Sheriff's office on Friday announced the results of Operation Silent Sweep.
Beginning Thursday, they rounded up 45 people accused of dealing drugs in Lancaster County neighborhoods.
Officers showed Channel 9 some of the heroin, pills and guns seized.
They said some of the suspects were dealing drugs dangerously close to schools.
Officers said the bust revealed that heroin and prescription pills are becoming more popular in the area.
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