A large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization has been shut down thanks to collaborative efforts of area and state law enforcement agencies.
Bartlesville Police Department, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Washington County Sheriff’s Department, Nowata County Sheriff’s Department, District 11 Drug Task Force, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation all worked to shut down the northeast Oklahoma operation following an investigation that began in 2021.
“During the course of the investigation, we found this organization shipping anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds of meth into northeastern Oklahoma from the west coast on a weekly basis,” said OBN spokesperson Mark Woodward. “Those shipments would then be moved onto the streets in Washington County, Nowata County and parts of Kansas.”
Thirteen people have been arrested and more than 35 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly 100 firearms associated with the organization have been seized, Woodward said.
Most of the defendants were transported to the Washington County Detention Center, where they face a variety of charges, including trafficking methamphetamine.
“This was truly a collaborative effort that has culminated in the removal of a large quantity of drugs from our community,” said Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles. “We are very appreciative to everyone who assisted in this investigation, which has been ongoing for several months, and the resulting search warrant services and arrests that followed. Our community is a little safer thanks to the work of this team.”
Information provided by Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics