AMHERST, Va. – A two-year drug investigation is leading to more arrests. This comes after the Amherst County Sheriff's Office launched a multiagency operation earlier this year.
A traffic stop two years ago is helping Amherst County investigators get to the bottom of a meth conspiracy.
“It was a large magnitude of drugs and everything we were dealing with. And we had to use the sources and resources and network with these other agencies to get where we are today,” Captain of investigations Eric Elliot said.
We first told you about Operation Ice Breaker back in May. More than 40 people were rounded up that month now 15 names have been added to that list. Sheriff E.W. Viar says collaborating with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies stopped about 5 pounds of meth from coming into Amherst.
“The DEA stopped this target vehicle in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Gastonia Police Department took it down for us. It never made it back to the streets of Amherst County, which tickled me. Because if it got back to Amherst County, it would go from here to Lynchburg, to Campbell County, Nelson County, Bedford County, Appomattox, wherever,” Viar said.
The sheriff says several of the 15 have already pleaded guilty and have been convicted. He says this case shows just how extensive the branches are in the drug world.
"The person that we caught on the traffic stop wouldn't know these people at the end of the level we have caught them on. They wouldn't have any idea of who these people are,” Viar said.
The sheriff says as meth continues to be a growing epidemic, their job is not done.
"Oh, it's definitely not the end, there's plenty more to come I'm sure,” Viar said.