Magnet-Prescription Meds Top Gratiot Busts

[thanks2]

It is nice to hear a positive quote about our community from a drug squad.

 

Prescription meds top Gratiot busts

 

Published: Monday, April 04, 2011

http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2011/04/04/news/srv0000011320064.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

By LINDA GITTLEMAN

Gratiot Managing Editor

 

The economy is driving up the number of drug arrests in Gratiot County.

 

And the drug of choice these days is prescription medicine, according Mid-Michigan Area Group Narcotics Enforcement Team Lt. Jim Wolfe.

 

"If you have a legitimate prescription for 30 pain pills a month and you get 150, where are the rest going?" he asked. "On the street."

 

One man, who has no criminal history, was recently caught trying to make a few hundred dollars by selling his extra pain pills. He could now be facing a prison term, Wolfe said.

 

"The economy is absolutely a factor. You have reasonably good people making bad decisions," he said.

 

MAGNET is a two county wide drug enforcement effort in Gratiot and Shiawassee counties. There are four police officers on each county's team.

 

A full staff has helped increase the number of arrests and those numbers have jumped signficantly, he said.

 

In 2009 in both counties, 227 drug investigations were conducted. One year later, there were 309.

 

Also in both counties 135 people were arrested in 2009 and the following year, those totaled 209 - an increase of 44 percent.

 

Firearm arrests also jumped: 76 in 2009 to 145 in 2010. Continued...

 

 

 

To break in down even further, in St. Louis, there were just six arrests in 2009. The following year, it leaped to 27.

 

Highways and streets often aren't the locations where MAGNET officers make their arrests and investigations. It's in their homes.

 

And prescription medicine, not marijuana, not cocaine, nor heroin or methamphetamine, is the overwhelming reason for the arrests and investigations.

 

"They're stealing from parents," Wolfe said. "(Prescriptions) are hugely abused."

 

Wolfe said that even though more and more people are becoming engaged with medical marijuana - another possible economic indicator - most of the marijuana growers are complying with the law.

 

"You see some cocaine and heroin but not a large amount," he said. "Meth tips are increasing and as soon as we see it start, we are on it. It's not an epidemic. And it's on our radar."

 

Sinus medication, the kind that contains ephedrine, is used in the making of methamphetamines. For those over the counter drugs, a purchaser must sign forms and present identification. Retailers have been very helpful in providing MAGNET with those names of people whose purchases seem suspicious.

 

The economy continues to play a role as weird things are also playing a role in the drug world, he said.

 

"Bath salts," he said. "Some kids are getting high and it causes serious health issues. It's amazing what people are doing to get high.

[The Digital Nomad]

its true, the prescription pill market has exploded, probably due to unemployment. I work around construction sites and apparently its pretty easy to buy pills. With no government job assistance, they turn to selling what they have - and prescription pills are too available. $5 a pill, to $10 to $30 a pill - MM is still cheaper, safer, and LEGAL!

 

-DN

[+EdwardGlen]

You can find just about any narcotic in pill form anywhere in Michigan!

 

And that is what gets my goat about Lansing and LEO.

 

We have people dieing from over doses of prescription pills and heroin and yet, they want to target the sick, disabled, and dieing who are using MM legally.