Heroin Task Force Nets Warrants For 43 In Northern Virginia ICYMI

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Arrest warrants were obtained Wednesday for 43 people suspected of heroin possession or distribution, according to a Prince William County-Manassas City-Manassas Park narcotics task force. The task force was created to combat the growing heroin epidemic in the area. It's also a nationwide problem.

The task force had help from other law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the Louodoun County Sheriff's Office, Alexandria Police, Arlington County Police, Fairfax County Police, Fairfax Police and the Virginia State Police. The task force said previous operations have led to more than 200 arrests and approximately three dozen searches.

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"As with past operations, when an arrest was made, those who wanted were provided with the necessary resources and information," the task force said in a statement. "This was a cooperative effort with the Community Services Board, Police Chaplains and the Commonwealth Attorney's Office."
Click here for a list of those arrested or wanted.

Here's what the Virginia Department of Health has to say about the myriad overdoses and the "alarming trends" in the state.

• Emergency department visits for heroin overdose for January-September 2016 increased 89% compared to the same nine month period in 2015.
• The total number of fatal drug overdoses in Virginia during the first half of 2016 has increased 35% when compared to the same time period in 2015.
• Fatal drug overdoses became the number one method of unnatural death in 2013.
• The rate of reported cases of Hepatitis C (HCV) increased 28% between 2010 and 2015, with the primary risk factor being injection drug use.

For more information and help for the addicted or their loved ones, click here.

Image of heroin powder from the Drug Enforcement Administration