The largest drug raid in state and county history dominated the Nov. 9, 2018, edition of the Daily Journal.
Daily Journal Archives
News from around Johnson County as reported on Nov. 9 in the pages of the Daily Journal and the Franklin Evening Star from the last 111 years.
On this day in 2018, most of the Daily Journal — including the entire front page — was dedicated to the largest drug sweep in state history.
“POLICE TARGET 120 DRUG DEALERS,” was the story’s headline.
Law enforcement surrounded dozens of homes across Johnson County one day earlier in a massive sweep to find and arrest 120 drug dealers wanted on felony charges. The largest drug raid in state and county history was the result of a year-long investigation by Franklin Police, Greenwood Police and the Johnson County’s Sheriff’s Office.
The wanted dealers faced felony charges for dealing methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. They were found in homes, motels and sleeping in cars as police went to their workplaces, parents’ homes and houses where they’d been known to stay.
In Franklin, 14 people were inside a home when officers arrived to make an arrest. The toilet was running and a safe was open with drugs inside, likely because suspects had been flushing drugs as officers came in the door, police said. Officers found baggies of methamphetamine, syringes and other evidence of drug dealing.
Getting street-level dealers in jail made a significant dent in drug distribution across the county and prevented crimes, ranging from shootings related to drug deadline to thefts from homes and cars, police said.
The effort also involved the U.S. Marshals, Indiana State Police, Edinburgh, Prince’s Lakes, Bargersville and New Whiteland police and the Morgan and Marion County sheriff’s offices.
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Other memorable Johnson County stories from this day
1983
Democrat Jeanette Surina’s win in the Greenwood mayoral election shattered two political conventions: the first female mayor in Johnson County and the first Democrat to win the office in 20 years.
1963
A Franklin police officer narrowly avoided a train when it unexpectedly came down the tracks as he crossed Jefferson Street.
1943
Members of a “black market” liquor ring who robbed taverns in Franklin, Columbus, Indianapolis and Seymour were believed to be responsible for another liquor robbery in Rushville.
