Task force lists drug case results

The Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force released its annual report for the last fiscal year and has reportedly been busy.

The task force doesn’t release information publicly as each case occurs and self-reports statistics of their work every year.

In the 2014 to 2015 year, the task force worked 213 cases, 54 of which were in the fourth quarter, or April to June. The year stats extend from July 1, 2014 to June 31, 2015.

In these cases, they seized:

• Meth — 218.5 grams from April to June for a total of 352.2 grams in the year

• Marijuana — 1,108.3 grams from April to June for a total of 18,831.2 grams in the year

• Pills — 306 from April to June for a total of 6,250.5 in the year

• Hashish — 8.6 grams from April to June for a total of 158.2 in the year

• Mushrooms — 6.2 grams from April to June, which is all they found this year

• Marijuana plants — 5 from April to June for a total of 16 this year

• Cocaine — 13.9 grams for the year

• Heroin — 1.1 grams for the year

• Ecstasy — 24 for the year

• Cash property — $10,250 from April to June for a total of $210,684

• Firearms — 9 from April to June for a total of 17

The task force also made 28 arrests in the last quarter, to push their numbers to 153 in the last year. They executed 17 search warrants for a total of 76 in the last year.

Tri-Agency Task Force covers Havre Police Department and Hill, Blaine, Daniels, Liberty, Phillips Sheridan and Valley counties’ sheriff’s offices, as well as Rocky Boy’s and Fort Belknap Indian reservations.

Havre Police Lt. Aaron Wittmer, who is in charge of the task force, said that these numbers mostly come from Havre and Hill County — about 80 to 90 percent. Rocky Boy gets some, but small portions compared to Havre.

Wittmer said the numbers are up from years past. Meth is up as high as it’s been in the last few years, as well as marijuana and hash. Cocaine and mushrooms are at about the same numbers. Heroin, however, is coming up. Usually, the task force doesn’t see much of it, but this year, it’s coming back. Firearm seizures are down.

The money that gets picked up by the task force is either forfeited to them or given back to the person they picked it up from. If for some reason, the task force cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt that the money was gained from the sale of drugs, they have to give it back. If they can prove it, the money goes to them for upkeep of the force. This year, judges gave them $30,000 of the seized money after they were able to prove it was drug money. The task force just wrote someone a $6,000 or $7,000 check for money they seized, which the force was positive was gained from drug sales but lacked the proper evidence to prove it.

The task force was given an expected grant of $362,665 to maintain operations in the Havre office and the newly opened Glasgow office. There are four task force agents in total.

Wittmer said if anyone sees anything suspicious and think it is drug related, they can call the task force at 265-1192.