PRESS RELEASE:
Operation BLING yielded pounds of drugs, thousands of dollars and more than 150 arrests – including two homicide suspects – last week.
Commanders of the Narcotics and Vice Division announced the results of the under-cover operation at the Board of Police Commissioners today. BLING stands for Borders Linked Investigating Neighborhood Gangs. It was a three-month multi-jurisdictional initiative developed by KCPD’s Street Crimes Unit that focused on gangs, gang members and reducing violent gang crime in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The initiative focused primarily in the Northeast and Central portions of Kansas City, Mo., and culminated in a three-day sweep Aug. 10-12. A total of 87 warrants were served in Kansas City throughout the operation, with 37 of those being served during the three-day sweep.
A total of 153 charges resulted from Operation BLING, and 44 illegal firearms were recovered. In addition, police also recovered more than $27,000 in cash and a substantial amount of narcotics. The detailed results of the Operation are below:
Narcotics recovered
11.9 pounds of marijuana
1.2 pounds of cocaine
172.7 grams of crack
65.4 grams of methamphetamine
36 various pills
Firearms recovered
25 handguns
10 shotguns
9 assault rifles
Arrests
70 for possession of narcotics
51 for sales of narcotics
17 other felony arrests
7 for felon in possession of a firearm
5 for carrying a concealed weapon
2 for homicide
1 for undocumented immigrant in possession of a firearm
21 of the arrests were known gang members
“This outstanding operation and its subsequent arrests are a direct result of the hard work of the men and women of the Street Crimes Unit and our law enforcement partners,” said Major Jan Zimmerman, commander of the Narcotics and Vice Division. “Removing these violent offenders from the street makes Kansas City a safer place to live, work and play.”
Operation BLING was sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The following agencies assisted KCPD with Operation BLING: Independence, Mo., Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, and Jackson County Juvenile Court.
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