Weekend Drug Bust Operation Leads to 18 Arrests

Law enforcement agencies in South Carolina and North Carolina joined forces over the weekend along I-85 and I-26 in Spartanburg County. Operation Rolling Thunder, as the enforcement effort was called, sought to target drug trafficking and drug possession among other traffic crimes.

Throughout the five day enforcement operation, police arrested 18 people on felony charges and seized cocaine and marijuana. Law enforcement officers also found more than $215,000 in their stops in Spartanburg County.

The officers also issued approximately 1,602 traffic citations in Operation Rolling Thunder. This police effort was the sixth year of the joint-state operation. The Spartanburg County sheriff said that this operation will be held again next year.

Law enforcement agencies routinely run large-scale operations to target violations of traffic laws and drug possession laws. DUI traffic stops are also common in North Carolina. It is important the law enforcement officers take care not to violate a suspect’s criminal defense rights, including traffic stop rules and 4^th Amendment search and seizure rights.

Source: The Republic “Officers in NC, SC arrest 18, seize money and drugs in 5 day operation along 2 interstates,” 8/6/2011