April 28--More than 70 people have been arrested, most on felony charges, in a sweep of four North and West Side drug markets in recent days, according to Chicago police.
Police targeted the areas because of fentanyl-laced heroin that's contributed to growing numbers of overdoses and violence tied to the illegal drug trade, said Anthony Riccio, chief of organized crime for the Chicago Police Department.
"Fentanyl is what brought us here ... that's what brought us to this particular location," he said, in a rainy West Side news conference about a block away from one of the targeted areas, in front of a dilapidated building marked dangerous with a red "X" at St. Louis and Walnut avenues just north of Garfield Park.
"The Bureau of Organized Crime conducted two significant operations this week. The first operation targeted narcotics sales here on the city's West Side. These sales are conducted by local street gang members and fund the purchase of firearms that are used in these neighborhoods," Riccio said.
Officials described the vice operations as anti-violence in nature, but none of those arrested were charged with violent crimes, according to police. Heroin seized is being tested for fentanyl, but it's not clear whether any of it tested positive. Authorities didn't provide overdose figures.
One of the targeted areas was a block from the news conference -- the 3200 through 3400 blocks of West Walnut Avenue. Two of the blocks targeted are just east of Pulaski Road -- the 3900 blocks of West Gladys Avenue and West Grenshaw Street.
One of the West Side markets targeted by police was about a block from where a $3 million per year heroin operation was shut down by police last year, at Grenshaw and Independence Boulevard.
Like this week's operation, police announced those arrests at a news conference touting the department's efforts in the face of increasing violence.
Police did not immediately provide detailed information on those charged or what they are alleged to have done.
