The nine members of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force were honored Friday for the work it did in 2020, with a historic number of seizures and arrests in the face of the COVID pandemic.
“These men and women go to work every day devoted to making west Tennessee safer. Safer for our children, to keep dangerous deadly drugs out of their hands, and safer from violent criminals,” said Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.
The numbers are overwhelming: seizures totaling more than $100 million in street value, including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, and arrests of criminals transporting dozens of weapons, from automatic rifles to a Gatling gun allegedly en route to the Mexican cartel.
“I’ve never seen it more clearly, that you are that thin line between chaos or peace and law and order. And so, thank you,” said Dist. 81 state Rep. Debra Moody
The drug task force was named Team of the Year by the Gulf Coast high intensity drug trafficking area, and there’s hope they’ll be even more prolific moving forward.
“They never quit hitting the streets. They never quit searching for criminals that are trying to destroy communities,” Weirich said.
The task force also was recognized for the “most dangerous drug seizure of the year” when they seized 8-point-8 pounds of fentanyl.
Watch the video here.