'Operation 6-7' leads to 44 arrests, 50 felony charges: BCSO
Courtesy: Bay County Sheriff's Office
BAY COUNTY, Fla. - The Bay County Sheriff's Office said 44 people were arrested during a weeklong targeted enforcement operation focused on criminal activity in Northwest Florida.
Florida drug, sex offender arrests
What we know:
"Operation 6-7" took place during the week of Sept. 21 and focused on the Fountain, Youngstown and Bayou George communities along the U.S. 231 corridor.
The operation was named after Zones 6 and 7, which make up the BCSO patrol districts in the area.
Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said the name was also a reference to the popular "6-7" phrase.
What happened during ‘Operation 6-7?’
By the numbers:
According to BCSO, investigators executed nine search warrants and seized:
- 332 grams of methamphetamine
- 1.1 grams of fentanyl
- 213.6 grams of butanediol, commonly known as "scoop"
- 16.9 grams of marijuana, including three marijuana plants
- 14 firearms
- $2,113 in cash
The investigations resulted in 44 misdemeanor charges and 50 felony charges, BCSO said.
In addition to the narcotics investigations and search warrants, BCSO conducted sex offender compliance checks and other targeted enforcement activities throughout the area.
The arrests involved charges ranging from drug trafficking and other narcotics offenses to sex offender violations and other crimes, according to the sheriff's office.
Sheriff details operation
What they're saying:
Ford said the operation involved a significant commitment of resources and described it as one of the largest operations the sheriff's office has conducted in recent history.
"This is a significant operation. I think in recent history it’s probably one of the largest we’ve done. A lot of hard work went into it, and it was successful," Ford said.
When asked what led to the name "Operation 6-7," Ford said the sheriff's office's use of Zones 6 and 7 made the name an easy choice.
"One of the things is Zones 6 and 7, and the terminology ‘6-7,’ and I just couldn’t resist that," Ford said.
Ongoing enforcement
What's next:
The sheriff's office said the operation was intended to do more than make arrests. Deputies and investigators also focused on following up on criminal activity and directing additional resources toward communities along the U.S. 231 corridor.
Suspect identities
What we don't know:
The sheriff's office has not released a full list of names or individual mugshots for the 44 people taken into custody.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from official press releases and public statements provided by Sheriff Tommy Ford and the Bay County Sheriff's Office.