Triad-Wide Drug Bust Yields 'Unprecedented' Amount Of Heroin

Law enforcement officials say they've seized an unprecedented amount of heroin in the Triad. Multiple agencies across the region collaborated on the bust.

The six-month drug trafficking investigation led to 10 arrests and the dismantling of a major criminal organization. Eleven kilos of pure heroin were confiscated, alongside eight kilos of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana.

The State Bureau of Investigation partnered with Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and Thomasville police departments on the operation. The Guilford and Davidson County sheriff's offices were also involved.

Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina Thompson says they are "constantly fighting the drug issue."

Heroin is really destroying lives. We are doing everything that we can to save lives, keep family intact, keep children from being orphans as a result of parents dying of overdoses. I am really out to say that Winston-Salem has been for years involved in partnerships and working hard to be diligent about getting those drugs off the street.

The arrests took place on Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Friday, Dec. 15, in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem and Lexington.

High Point Police Chief Kenneth Shultz says this operation correlates to other crimes.

We had a 300 percent increase in overdoses just this past year from 2016. So obviously the heroin is an issue here. Violence, home invasions, the drug-related aspects, that is an ongoing driver for the violence that we have seen in High Point. 

In addition to the narcotics, officers seized $426,000 in jewels, six guns, $171,000 in cash, and cars including a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and a 2015 Rolls-Royce Wraith.