Two-year-old Virginia task force leads to 48 arrests, $5 million in drug seizures

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ/Virginia State Police) – The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force has seized more than 12 pounds of fentanyl, plus other illegal drugs, with an estimated total street value of more than $5 million, according to Virginia State Police. 207 illegal firearms have also been seized.

The task force has also arrested 48 people on drug and firearm violations, with resulting convictions leading to sentences totaling almost 700 years.

“The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force has clearly made a disruption in the illicit drug trade in Roanoke and the surrounding areas,” says Lt. Col. Timothy D. Lyon, Director of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “This is truly just the beginning of what we will continue to accomplish for our communities. All of the partnering agencies remain committed to taking even more dangerous drugs and dealers off of the streets.”

Since the multi-agency task force was established July 1, 2022, through the end of March 2024, the task force has seized the following:

· Fentanyl: 12 lbs., with an estimated street value of over $534,000

· Cocaine: 48 lbs., with an estimated street value of more than $2.1 million

· Methamphetamine: 124 lbs., with an estimated street value of over $2.8 million

· Marijuana: 163 lbs., with an estimated street value of more than $660,000

“The work that the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force does is instrumental in keeping our community safe,” said Roanoke Police Chief Scott Booth. “Not only have their actions kept the City of Roanoke a safe place to live and work, but the entire Roanoke Valley has benefitted from their tremendous accomplishments. I am incredibly proud of this team, and our community should know that these officers are dedicated to interrupting violent crime and the distribution of illegal narcotics in our neighborhoods.”

The task force’s investigative efforts have also resulted in the apprehension of 208 fugitives, according to police.

The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is made up of the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the Salem City Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Salem Field Office.

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