22 arrests in Twin Ports heroin sweep
Charges are expected by the end of this week against 22 people arrested for trafficking heroin in the Twin Ports area.
The arrests were part of a larger law enforcement effort to stem the flood of heroin into the state, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Agent Brian Marquart told MPR's All Things Considered on Thursday.
"Any case that involves the arrest of that many people will have an impact on the amount of drugs coming into that area," Marquart said.
Marquart said many prescription opiate abusers in the state have been tempted by the cheap, pure heroin that's available here.
"Prescription drug abuse in the state are extremely high," Marquart said. "As pills become more expensive and your body becomes more tolerant of it ... the sad reality is that a cheaper alternative right now seems to be heroin."
Between 2000 and 2010, the number of people seeking treatment for prescription opiates or heroin has increased fourfold, according to statistics from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
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