The leaders of a heroin operation around Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore were so rich,authorities say, they built a purse out of nothing but $100 bills.
Stored inside the purse? More $100 bills.
“I?ve never seen anything like it,” said Carl Kotowski, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration?s Baltimore office. “The $100 purse. These guys had so much money.”
Thursday morning, more than 100 Baltimore police and federal agents conducted 12 search and seizure raids in connection with Baltimore City Circuit Court grand jury indictments of 21 drug suspects.
Authorities say they “dismantled” the violent heroin operation and seized about 1 million glassine vials allegedly used to package heroin. Officers and agents arrested 11 of 21 people sought on charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
“Make no mistake about it: These people are dangerous, dangerous people with extensive records of violence,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm said. “You?re talking about a group that impacted the Baltimore metropolitan area: Howard County, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Harford County.”
The nine-month ongoing investigation is called Operation Fowl Play, because one of its main targets ? who is still at large ? raised pigeons, police said.
Another target, who was arrested, was a man who police say packaged heroin at a store called Fat Cats on the 2000 block of Frederick Avenue in Baltimore.
Police allege the store kept vials for heroin, but the store said they were used for fragrant oils.
“During the execution of the warrant, we did not see much use of fragrant oils,” Kotowski said.
The store also kept Sunkist and Ajax containers with hidden compartments that could be used to secretly store drugs, authorities said.
Baltimore City State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy said the operation attacks the roots of violence in Baltimore.
“A lot of emphasis has been placed on guns in our community,” Jessamy said. “The reality is drugs figure into the violence. … Unless we are dismantling major organizations, we are never going to get a handle on the violence in our community.”
