A northern Kentucky police department credits the Fivco Area Drug Enforcement Task Force (F.A.D.E.) for the arrest of four suspects trafficking prescription pills from Detroit.

On June 7, the task force arrested the suspects and seized about 500 pills and $17,000 from illegal sales prior to being arrested. Task force members served warrants acquired after a six-week investigation, Lt. Randy Reed of the Flatwoods Police Department tells POLICE Magazine.

The task force is made up of eight officers, one from each police department in the area that has decided to work with them. The task force is a force multiplier for the Flatwoods PD's 10 sworn officers; it doubles their size.

"We hunt and gather and they cook and clean," says Reed.

The bust stemmed from an undercover operation. Task force officers saw one suspect arrive at the apartment around 5:30 a.m. Around 6 p.m. F.A.D.E. acquired a search warrant, disarmed the suspect, and arrested four other people including Ebony Pugh, 22, of Detroit; Marcel Smith McCoy, 21, of Detroit; David Spears, 38, of Wurtland, Ky.; and Jason Lucas, 26, of Rush, Ky.

One of the arrests was made when a customer arrived at the apartment to buy drugs only to be taken into custody. "Nobody knew we were inside," says Ned Crisp, F.A.D.E. director.

Crisp says drug traffickers typically use Interstate 64, U.S. Route 23, and State Route 52 highways to travel in and out of the area. Crisp said they also use Greyhound buses because the bus line doesn't require identification or perform security checks.

The area is a hot spot for prescription drug abuse. "They're capitalizing on our area that has such a pill addiction," says Crisp about the traffickers.

By Erin Spandorf, editorial assistant