March 12, 2021- 7:37 p.m
HURRICANE, W.Va.- In less than one week, the Hurricane Police Department’s Crime Interdiction Unit has taken more than 100 pounds of drugs, a stolen gun and $6,000 in cash off the streets, making it the largest drug bust the unit has ever done in Hurricane.
“About a year and a half ago we started a Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU) and we did it (to) try to keep drug activity out of hurricane,” said Hurricane Police Chief Mike Mullins. “But they also serve warrants, so that’s why it’s the Criminal Interdiction Unit.”
Mullins said in three separate traffic stops, the CIU seized more than 100 pounds of marijuana, over two pounds of crystal meth, half of an ounce of heroin, a stolen gun from Huntington and $6,000 cash.“Our two CIU officers are attached to the FBI task force out of Huntington so not only do they work here but they also help in Huntington,” he said.
During the marijuana stop, the Hurricane CIU called in a K-9 officer from the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department for assistance.
The K-9 helped recover the marijuana which was found in the trunk of a car.“They weren’t targeted, they were just random traffic stops,” Chief Mullins said.
“They pull random traffic stops, ask certain questions and they get the reactions of the drivers and they go from there to see if they need to investigate further into the traffic stop, that’s why were the interdiction unit.”
Chief Mullins said within the last month, he also had a road patrol officer seize $15,000 in cash and a quarter pound of meth during a traffic stop.“(That officer is) not attached to the unit at all but we train our guys to watch for indicators,” Mullins told WSAZ.
“He’s a well-trained officer, he picked up on it and he, himself seized a large amount of cash and (quarter) pound of meth.”
