Major Delaware drug bust helps get fentanyl off the streets, likely saving lives

Detectives in New Castle County have pulled off a major drug bust in Wilmington that they say included crack, heroin, ecstasy and lots and lots of fentanyl.

Working with the FBI and a high-tech device that uses lasers to test the compounds of narcotics, county officials say they were able to arrest three in what they are calling a major drug ring.

“This is a great lockup, members of our high risk offenders team working with the FBI task force conducted since March,” said Master Cpl. Richard Chambers of the New Castle County Police Department.

The investigation began after county police got a tip that people were dealing drugs in Wilmington, and after a monthslong investigation, they were able to make arrests and seize drugs mainly from a home on Maple Street in the city.

The three suspected drug dealers now face a long list of charges, police say. However, they say the real story is the lives likely saved from getting the illegal drugs off the street.

“A tiny bit of fentanyl can kill a lot of people, and this is great to have this amount of drugs off the streets,” said Chambers. “This could save a lot of lives.”

According to police, the bust puts a major dent in the illegal drug market in the area, but the fight is never over for law enforcement as long as lethal drugs remain on the streets.