WISE, Va. (WCYB) — A major operation by multiple law enforcement agencies to clean up the streets in Southwest Virginia was announced Wednesday.
The operation has been dubbed "COVID Clean-Up." Mass arrests were made across Wise County and Norton on Wednesday.
The arrests stem from an extensive investigation involving illegal drug activity. More than 50 people have been indicted on a total of more than 100 charges. Of the charges, almost 75 percent involve the distribution or possession of meth.
“The COVID-19 pandemic shut down our court system, made it difficult for law enforcement officers to gather evidence to disrupt the illegal drug trade, and then left us with a backlog of cases that we are still working diligently to resolve," Commonwealth's Attorney Chuck Slemp said. "We are calling this operation COVID Clean-up because we are determined to clean up our community, restore hope, hold offenders accountable, and we won’t let COVID stop us from our mission.”
https://wcyb.com/news/local/more-than-50-arrested-on-drug-related-charges-in-southwest-virginia-on-wednesday