Joint narcotics task force winds up 4-month operation with multiple arrests

Joint Narcotics Operation – On May 28th, detectives from the Prince William County-Manassas City-Manassas Park Narcotics Task Force concluded a four month narcotics operation, dubbed “Growing Pains”, which concentrated on the illegal narcotics availability to late teens and young adults throughout Prince William County.

Operation “Growing Pains” officially began in February 2015 and focused on the younger demographic abusing drugs in our community rather than specific drugs.

Through the course of the operation undercover detectives conducted dealings involving cocaine, LSD, psilocybin, pharmaceutical pills, marijuana and concentrated marijuana “wax”.

As a result, detectives obtained warrants for 26 individuals, 19 of which are now in custody. In addition to the arrests, detectives also executed search warrants at 4 different target locations.

This narcotics operation was conducted as part of a countywide effort to combat drug use and addiction in our younger population.

Drug use and addiction amongst youths is a nationwide problem and not specific to this region or Prince William County. The goal of the operation was to acknowledge this issue and take the necessary enforcement action in hopes of deterring future use amongst teens and young adults.

The operation included the necessary enforcement of state law but also continued the educational initiative on the dangers of narcotics use and addiction.

When an arrest was made, those who sought help for drug use or addiction issues were provided with the necessary resources. Since this operation included the arrest of younger offenders in the community, follow-up information will continue to be provided publicly through the department’s social media forums to those who are concerned about suspected drug use and/or addiction with their children.

The Prince William County Police Department would like to continue to remind the public, most importantly parents, that it is important to educate yourself on what narcotics look like and their many different forms.

There are ways parents can take an active role in your child’s life in order to stop drug use and addiction before it becomes life changing.

Parents should look out for changes in their child’s behavior, their performance in school, changes in sleeping or eating habits and also any changes in their personal and family relationships.

Addiction can start small but has the potential to escalate quickly resulting in overdoses or even death. Some illegal drug use is also known to have a link to the abuse of prescription medications. It’s important to ensure any prescription medications in your home are kept secured and away from others who are not prescribed them.

If you suspect your child or loved one has a drug addiction, police recommend that you seek help immediately.

In previous narcotics operations, “Blue Dragon” in 2013 and “Dragon Slayer” in 2014, the focus centered on the enforcement action and education of street level users and distributors of prescription pain medications and heroin. These operations resulted in a total of over 100 arrests and the execution of approximately 26 subsequent searches.

Details on those arrested to come later.