This afternoon Sheriff Chuck Wright addressed the media regarding the conclusion of an undercover drug operation that had been going on for the past year. Code named Operation Poison Ivy this operation targeted the issue of illegal narcotics in the Pacolet, South Carolina area of Spartanburg County. Just over a year ago Pacolet Chief of Police Robert Ivey reached out to the Sheriff’s Office for assistance in addressing the illegal drug problem in his community. A plan that was later named Operation Poison Ivy was put into action. Over the course of the past year police officers from the Pacolet Police Department, deputies and narcotics investigators from the Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Marshals of the US Marshal’s Service worked to identify individuals who were selling illegal narcotics. The operation was able to identify 40 suspects and were able to obtain a total of 90 arrest warrants. Starting at 7:00 AM this morning deputies, officers and Deputy Marshals began to fan out over the Pacolet area taking suspects into custody. As of this afternoon 28 of the 40 suspects have been taken into custody. The operation will continue for the next couple of days. If anyone has any information about the location of any of the suspects listed who have not been taken into custody yet they may call CrimeStoppers at 1.888.CRIME.SC.
