Police arrest 8 members of west Baltimore drug gang.
Baltimore police arrested eight members of a violent drug gang operation in west Baltimore, officials announced Friday.
Mayor Brandon Scott credits his Group Violence Reduction Strategy for the takedown.
“We are relieved,” said resident Rochelle Parker. “We can actually walk up and down the street. We’ve come outside.”
She said residents are rejoicing after learning about the fall of the Carey Street Boyz.
“We called them wallflowers because they were all over the wall. They had chairs and everything up here,” Parker said.
Police said that in January, BPD’s Group Violence Reduction Unit launched an investigation into what they believed was a drug trafficking organization responsible for selling fentanyl and cocaine.
“This social network was identified through the violence review process as being one of the major drivers of violence in the western district,” said Shantay Jackson, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
“This investigation culminated in the execution of 11 search warrants, including four search warrants for vehicles and seven search warrants for residences located in Cockeysville, Windsor Mill, Elkridge and Baltimore City,” said state’s attorney Ivan Bates.
Authorities confiscated seven firearms, including at least one ghost gun, half a kilogram of cocaine, 890 vials of suspected cocaine, 3,712 grams of suspected cannabis and more than $200,000 in cash.
Suspects arrested range in age from 19 to 59 years old.
“Seven of those members have prior arrests including various narcotics and armed robbery violations as well as assault,” said acting Commissioner Richard Worley.
GVRS works directly with those most involved and affected by crime. The goal is to help them find an alternative way out of violence.
Scott said those who were indicted made poor decisions.
“By getting these individuals off our streets, we are making our city safer,” he said.
In addition to the eight arrests, police busted six others not affiliated with the gang for allegedly participating in the group’s activities.