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| Paola man one of 20 charged after drug bust |
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| News | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Friday, 05 February 2010 08:00 | |||
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A Paola man is one of 20 people facing drug charges after an eight-month, multijurisdictional law-enforcement operation. According to a news release from the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the operation focused on alleged methamphetamine production; it culminated Tuesday with 10 warrant searches in southeast Kansas and resulted in charges against 20 people. Searches were conducted by members of 13 agencies at locations in Paola, Fort Scott, Chanute, Iola and Stark, according to the release. Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office charged the 20 people with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of the materials to make methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and other crimes. Seventeen of the individuals were arrested Tuesday. Authorities alleged that they were obtaining large quantities of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, using it to cook methamphetamine to sell in Kansas communities, according to the release. Gary E. Green, 34, of Paola was charged with one count of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance (methamphetamine) as well as eight counts of using a communication facility to facilitate the manufacture of a controlled substance or, in the alternative, eight counts of use of communication in a conspiracy to commit the manufacture of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $50,000. According to the release, the Southeast Kansas Drug Task Force has been working for more than a decade to crack down on illegal drugs and the crimes often associated with the drug trade. In recent years, authorities have stepped up efforts to fight methamphetamine. This past year, Attorney General Steve Six announced the Kansas Meth Initiative, which provided $1 million in additional funding for prosecutors to support the task force and training for law-enforcement officers on the ground. With the money obtained through the initiative, the Attorney General’s Office has been able to assign two full-time drug prosecutors to the task force. Officials say this ensures that those involved with the crimes the task force uncovers may be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “This large meth bust, which started with good police work and was executed because law-enforcement agencies worked together, is a perfect example of how beneficial programs like the Kansas Meth Initiative and the Southeast Kansas Drug Task Force can be to the safety and health of our communities,” Six said in the release. “It also demonstrates what great work law-enforcement officers can do when given the resources they need to fight crime.”
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