IRWIN COUNTY, GA. An inmate of Lee Arrendale State Prison is charged with planning a methamphetamine trafficking scheme while incarcerated. After a thorough investigation, the South Central Drug Task Force (SCDTF) discovered the purported enterprise.
The inmate was guiding methamphetamine shipments into Irwin County, South Georgia, according to SCDTF. The suspect allegedly coordinated transactions with outside couriers and dealers using illegal cell phones.
Contrary to popular belief, these cases are not as frequent. According to Hudson Moyle of the South Central Drug Task Force (SCDTF), who spoke to WALB News, “these prison brokers, as we call them in our field, have a lot of friends and connections through prior work histories on their behalf, so they are still able to make these contacts.”
Two-part takedown
WALB claims that the SCDTF put an end to the operation using two strategies. First, they organized a controlled drug trade within the prison using a ringleader who was an inmate. Investigators then found a drug mule at Irwinville Country Store, outside of Ocilla, using the information they had obtained during that transaction. They claimed to have discovered 33 grams of methamphetamine there.
Law enforcement received cooperation from the drug mule. They clarified that the Lee Arrendale inmate was ordering the drugs from a Tifton dealer.
After that, the Tifton Police Department was able to gather enough evidence to secure a search warrant for the hotel. According to Moyle, they discovered a lot of drugs and digital media when the search warrant was carried out, which also connected him to the jail source in Arrendale jail.
Methamphetamine, fentanyl, ecstasy tablets, and a weapon linked to the drug trafficking network into Irwin County were found during the search, according to SCDTF.
Dept. of Corrections issues statement
In a statement to WALB, the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) discussed how an inmate may have conducted such an operation.
According to the statement, “We continue to fight and it is paramount in our commitment to public safety that inmates use contraband cell phones as a tool to carry out their crimes.” The GDC is still employing every available tool to stop this and other similar crimes committed by people using illegal cell phones both inside and outside of our jails.Alto, Georgia’s Lee Arrendale State Prison. (NowHabersham.com)
In order to enact legislation that would permit Georgia prisons to jam cell phone communications, GDC officials stated that they are collaborating with state and federal legislators. Currently, using cell phone jammers is illegal under federal law.
According to the SCDTF, the instance emphasizes how crucial interagency cooperation and communication are.
The accomplishment of this investigation would not have been possible without the quick collaboration of the Tifton Police Department, South Central Drug Task Force agents, and investigators from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Authorities have not made the suspects’ names public due to the continuing investigation.
