By Associated Press - Tuesday, May 27, 2014

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Annapolis police announced indictments against nine alleged heroin dealers on Tuesday.

The arrests resulted from a partnership with Anne Arundel County Police and the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office in an initiative that lasted more than seven months, police said. Authorities say the investigation involved undercover police officers making more than 50 controlled purchases from drug dealers. Police said two juveniles also were charged in addition to the nine adults. All of them live in either Annapolis or Arnold.

“Illegal drugs affect our community in many ways,” said Annapolis Police Chief Michael Pristoop. “Drug dealers ply their trade in communities leading to violence and other crime increases throughout the city.”

The arrests came after the Annapolis Police Department’s Drug Enforcement Unit identified two groups responsible for the majority of heroin distributed in Annapolis.

Authorities say the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office contacted police in Annapolis in October in response to an increase in heroin overdoses. An investigation revealed that drug users were buying heroin in Annapolis.

The city, the capital of Maryland, had six fatal overdoses due to heroin last year and one this year. There also have been 22 non-fatal overdoses this year.

Police say detectives were able to link nine Anne Arundel County overdoses to the indicted suspects.

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