Utah County law enforcement helping to fight drug use further north

Published: Saturday, May 7, 2011 2:40 p.m. MDT


SPANISH FORK — The Utah County Major Crimes Task Force arrested 10 people in Salt Lake and Davis counties last week while busting a major heroin distribution ring. Though the arrests happened further north, police in Utah County say it's important for them to have been involved.

Police say the reason for that is simple: There are a lot of drug users from Utah County going north to buy heroin, and many of those users often buy enough heroin to sell to others to support their own habit.

Lt. Phil Murphy of the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force says in Utah County a person can buy a quarter-gram of heroin for $12 to $15, and it comes packaged in a small water balloon.

The balloons are just some of the evidence Murphy is sorting through, along with cocaine, fake IDs and $15,000 in cash. All of it was seized over the past week, and now 10 people, all in the country illegally, are in jail.

"All of this is coming up out of Mexico," Murphy said. "It's easy to bring heroin here, it's very small."

Murphy said the money goes back to Mexico, but the heroin is coming to Utah because there are buyers here willing to pay for the drugs. The deals are happening right in the open.

"Very public locations, parking lots of gas stations, big-box and retail stores, mall parking lots, and routinely we follow people going up to find their suppliers," Murphy said.

But there are tragic consequences for heroin users, as well for those who love them. "For years I've heard of families who have had a lot of problems associated with members who are addicted to heroin," Murphy said.

Case in point: A 19-year-old South Jordan man was arrested Wednesday, accused of stealing credit cards from relatives to buy merchandise. He would then sell the items to pawn shops to get cash for heroin.

But tragically, police say, heroin users frequently overdose, resulting in death.

"You hear of a lot of overdoses that are related to opiates and heroin," Murphy said, "and so this is satisfying to know we've made a lot of arrests and a good-sized seizure. But it also indicates that there is a significant problem in the state still."

The 10 people arrested are still in jail, facing a possible federal indictment on trafficking charges, as well as state drug charges. The men are also being held on immigration violations.

One of the reasons behind the extent of the heroin problem is availability.

"It's easier than finding someone to buy you alcohol," recovering drug addict Hannah Muir said. "It's easier than finding weed. It's easier than buying a pack of cigarettes."

The drug is also cheap. Heroin can sell sometimes for as low as $5, much cheaper than marijuana or Spice. Many users turn to it after the prescription drug Oxycontin gets too expensive or too hard to get.

The Utah County Health Department substance abuse division says it has seen a 2 percent increase in the percentage of patients seeking treatment for heroin addiction in the past five years.

Treatment for other drug addictions have remained the same or dropped.

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