Bainbridge Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Unit teamed with the Cairo Police Department, the Thomasville/Thomas County Drug Unit, the U.S. Marshal’s Office, and the Grady County Sheriff’s Office on a major roundup of suspected drug traffickers that began in the predawn hours of Tuesday, July 31.

The arrests followed an 18-month long investigation initiated in the early part of 2017 by Bainbridge Public Safety (BPS), the Cairo Police Department (CPD), the Thomas County Drug Unit (TCDU), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) which revolved around the sale and distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, “Mollie” (MDMA) and “Flakka” (Alpha-PVP and N-Ethylpentylone) in Southwest Georgia and North Florida.

Based on the results of the investigation, investigators obtained federal indictments for over twenty individuals suspected of obtaining and selling controlled substances in Southwest Georgia and North Florida. Individuals arrested lived in the area of Bainbridge, Cairo, Thomasville and Tallahassee. More indictments and arrests are expected to come in the near future.

Those arrested were transported to the U.S. Courthouse in Albany where the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia will handle their prosecution, with the exception of two Florida suspects who are in Federal custody in North Florida, and are being prosecuted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Tallahassee.

According to Bainbridge Public Safety Deputy Director Frank Green, the investigation was a successful because of the long hours put in by CPD, BPS, TCDU, DEA as well as the assistance provided by District Attorney Joe Mulholland and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Quinn of the South Georgia Judicial Circuit.