Detectives with the Lake County sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau have concluded a four-month undercover operation targeting upper-level drug dealers responsible for dealing large amounts of cocaine, heroin, and prescription pills in Lake County.
The operation, dubbed “Close to Home,” was initiated in response to citizen complaints and was conducted in collaboration with the Clermont, Leesburg, and Mount Dora Police Departments, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Orlando division of the United States Marshal’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit.
The operation, which consisted of undercover drug buys, surveillance, and other investigative techniques, is being called a huge success as it resulted in the following: 74 arrest warrants for various drug crimes, 7 search warrants served, approximately $33,000 seized, 23 vehicles seized, approximately 7 ounces of cocaine seized, 2 pounds of heroin seized, as well as 20 guns being seized, among other things.
Detectives spent Thursday and Friday (August 28 and 29) serving the search warrants and rounding up those whom they had obtained warrants for.
At this time, at least 67 of the wanted subjects have been located and arrested. More arrests have been trickling in.
