With overdose deaths on the rise, MSP makes more than 100 drug arrests in first quarter of 2021
Apr. 15—Maryland State Police in Frederick County have arrested more than 100 people on drug-related charges in the first quarter of 2021, the agency announced Thursday.
From Jan. 1 to April 1, troopers from the Frederick Barrack arrested 112 people in connection with drug offenses. One of the arrests was a juvenile, while the other 111 were adults.
The incidents yielded 475 grams of heroin, 204 grams of cocaine, 91 grams of PCP, 13 grams of methamphetamines and more than eight kilograms of marijuana, the release said. Police made 16 of the arrests after encountering drivers they believed to be impaired.
"We are working to improve community safety by conducting thorough roadside investigations and focus on eliminating illegal drugs being transported into our communities," Lt. Stephen Johnson, commander of the Maryland State Police Frederick Barrack, said in a prepared statement.
Drug overdose deaths in Maryland have been on the rise since the coronavirus pandemic began last spring, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 2,600 people across the state died of overdoses during the 12-month period that ended in September, preliminary CDC data released Wednesday showed. That's a 12 percent jump from the previous yearlong period. Nationwide, overdose deaths soared by nearly 30 percent over the same timeframe.
Follow Jillian Atelsek on Twitter: @jillian_atelsek
