Orange County sheriff’s deputies take 92 drug traffickers off streets during Operation Spring Cleaning

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Orange County sheriff’s deputies took 92 drug traffickers off the streets, confiscated 51.07 pounds of controlled substances, and seized 64 of firearms during the Task Force Operation Spring Cleaning, according to results that the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) released on Wednesday, May 2.

Operation Spring Cleaning is a strategic initiative in 35 Florida counties that focused on the investigation and subsequent arrest of those manufacturing, delivering or trafficking controlled substances.

“Operation Spring Cleaning has been declared a complete success and I am pleased with the efforts of this task force, but moreover with the outstanding results here in Orange County,” said Orange County Sheriff Jerry L. Demings. “We will not stop fighting the war on these drug traffickers and will not tolerate it in Orange County.”

Florida’s medical examiners reported 704 people died of Fentanyl-related overdoses in the first half of 2016, which led to the passing of enhanced penalties for drug dealers and traffickers as seen in Florida House Bill 477 in 2017.

Since many dealers sell various types of drugs, Operation Spring Cleaning focused on capturing sales and trafficking related to highly abused controlled substances. The following are the specific totals numbers for Orange County:

*92 persons were suspected for trafficking in controlled substances listed under Florida Statute 893.03/sale and delivery

*Approximately 51 pounds of controlled substances confiscated

*64 firearms seized

*64 arrests for unlawful possession of a firearm when arrested for trafficking/sale and delivery

*28 arrests for outstanding warrants when person was arrested for trafficking/sale and delivery

“The widespread use of controlled substances has devastated communities across our great state,” said Michael Adkinson, FSA president and Walton County sheriff. “Enforcing controlled substance policies under Florida Statute 893.03 is a top priority for law enforcement officers to keep families and local communities safe.”

Operation Spring Cleaning contributes to two of the FSA business operations goals: to foster effective law enforcement and crime prevention and to promote the activities of Sheriffs. The results of this task force operation have led to many successful closed investigations of drug trafficking in the state of Florida.

This story comes from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.