Authorities in Pennsylvania have cracked down on a massive fentanyl trafficking operation that funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of narcotics from Kensington, Philadelphia's notorious street corner, into the surrounding suburbs. The 94 arrestees, who have been charged with various crimes related to their involvement in the illicit trade, are among nearly 100 suspects rounded up over the past month.
The multi-agency investigation, led by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, targeted those involved in supplying fentanyl and other deadly narcotics to lower-level dealers in Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware counties. The operation was also assisted by Philadelphia police and the district attorneys of the aforementioned counties.
According to officials, including Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele and Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, most of the arrested individuals were linked to transporting or selling drugs originating from Philadelphia. In some cases, people caught using narcotics were diverted to treatment programs with assistance from the Montgomery County Overdose Response Team.
Sunday's office has since removed 50 million doses of fentanyl from Pennsylvania streets this year alone, including approximately 27 million in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The investigation marks part of an ongoing effort by authorities to address both supply and demand sides of the opioid crisis.
The arrest spree follows a recent FBI operation that resulted in the indictment of 33 individuals suspected of ties to a notorious Kensington street corner where fentanyl and other narcotics have long been sold. An area on Weymouth Street has been controlled by gangs for nearly a decade, federal prosecutors say.
Sunday emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration between local law enforcement agencies, the state, and the federal government in sharing intelligence on drug trafficking activity to tackle this growing threat.
The multi-agency investigation, led by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, targeted those involved in supplying fentanyl and other deadly narcotics to lower-level dealers in Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware counties. The operation was also assisted by Philadelphia police and the district attorneys of the aforementioned counties.
According to officials, including Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele and Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, most of the arrested individuals were linked to transporting or selling drugs originating from Philadelphia. In some cases, people caught using narcotics were diverted to treatment programs with assistance from the Montgomery County Overdose Response Team.
Sunday's office has since removed 50 million doses of fentanyl from Pennsylvania streets this year alone, including approximately 27 million in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The investigation marks part of an ongoing effort by authorities to address both supply and demand sides of the opioid crisis.
The arrest spree follows a recent FBI operation that resulted in the indictment of 33 individuals suspected of ties to a notorious Kensington street corner where fentanyl and other narcotics have long been sold. An area on Weymouth Street has been controlled by gangs for nearly a decade, federal prosecutors say.
Sunday emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration between local law enforcement agencies, the state, and the federal government in sharing intelligence on drug trafficking activity to tackle this growing threat.
just saw that authorities in PA took down a huge fentanyl operation... 94 people arrested so far and 50 million doses of fentanyl removed from streets - that's insane! 
i feel like the layout of this story is all over the place tho, like the headlines are separate from the actual content. wouldn't it be better to have a clear timeline or headings to break up all the info? and what's with the numbers? 50 million doses removed in just one year? that's a massive number... and i'm not even getting into the fact that Philly is basically a hub for fentanyl trafficking 
maybe this can be an opportunity for some layout reform?
we need to address the source of the problem, not just the symptoms. also, 50 million doses removed is a good number, but what's being done to support those struggling with addiction? treatment programs and resources should be available on the ground, not just in theory 
50 million doses of fentanyl removed from PA streets? That's like wiping out half the town! 
I hope most of them caught using are getting help now, it's a shame people have to go through that. 
The thing is, I still think we should be talking about why this keeps happening in the first place? Is it the demand side or is it just the supply side being taken down? 
those Philly streets are notorious for a reason, btw. Anyway, kudos to Dave Sunday and all his team for taking down some major dealers and helping take 50 million doses off the streets. That's like, a whole lot of pills not killing people 
. I'm glad we're seeing more inter-agency collaboration on this, it's about time law enforcement worked together instead of at each other 
. Now let's see if they actually follow through and make some real changes in this ongoing crisis... 
anyway, glad to see the authorities taking action, inter-agency collab is key in this fight against opioids 
gotta keep fighting against these bad guys who are ruining lives & killing people 
hopefully these 94 arrested folks get some serious help and treatment for their addiction issues 
also wanna give a shoutout to the amazing teams of law enforcement, DA's office, & federal gov agencies working together to crack down on this stuff 
so proud of the progress made in removing 50 million doses of fentanyl from our streets already this year 
let's keep pushing forward to create a safer, healthier community for everyone 
. and to think they were funnelling hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of narcotics from Kensington into surrounding suburbs... it's crazy how far-reaching this stuff can be 
. but for now, let's just take a moment to appreciate the work of law enforcement and all the agencies working together to take down these trafficking operations 
but seriously though, fentanyl trafficking is such a big deal 
94 people are off the streets, no more lives lost to those evil drugs 
and an additional 50 million doses removed from PA streets this year alone?! mind blown!! let's keep supporting these amazing law enforcement agencies and their efforts to combat the opioid crisis 
And let's be real, Philly's Kensington corner is like a war zone – it's not exactly the safest place to hang out. We need to focus on getting these people help and rehab rather than just throwing them in jail. 
. 94 arrestees is impressive, don't get me wrong, but what about the thousands of people who got hooked on these deadly substances and are now struggling to get off? It's all well and good that we're taking down a major trafficking operation, but when will we prioritize rehabilitation over punishment?
. That's a lot of people in one place, just waiting to be arrested or worse... And what's with the emphasis on inter-agency collaboration? I'm all for it, but where was this kind of coordination when it came to addressing the root causes of our opioid crisis? It feels like we're just treating the symptoms instead of going after the problem at its source 
.
and now they're like "we removed 50 million doses" omg yaaas let's keep it up 
. Let's keep supporting our first responders and law enforcement agencies working tirelessly to keep us safe 
. Let's keep pushing for more inter-agency collaboration and support for those affected by addiction 
but we gotta keep working together as a community to address the root causes of this opioid crisis