Several arrested following undercover drug operation

MCNAIRY COUNTY, Tenn. — An ongoing undercover joint operation targeting illicit drug sales throughout McNairy County has resulted in more than 20 indictments.

SEE ALSO: Full Press Release from TBI (including names and charges)

Most individuals are recurring offenders with very few first time offenders caught during the operation.

“Operation Ice Storm” began in September of 2023, with special agents of the Drug Investigation Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, McNairy County Narcotics Unit, and several other local agencies.

For about a year, authorities have been making undercover buys from individuals within the community.

“People in the community that are doing bad things know when the grand jury is. It’s kind of like a lottery. They’re rolling the dice every time,” said McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck. “There is no doubt the community knew today. This parking lot was full of law enforcement officers from all over West Tennessee. So, if you were doing something bad in the last year and you had a dirty conscious, I can assure you, you weren’t too surprised when we knocked on your door today.”

On June 9, a McNairy County grand jury returned indictments charging 21 individuals for trafficking drugs. At the time of this release, 19 individuals had been taken into custody.

“It’s non-stop. We’re basically out here 24 hours a day, seven days a week, looking for people who want to come to jail. If they’re excited about it we’ll give them the opportunity,” Sheriff Buck said.

This is an ongoing investigation with additional arrests pending. Here’s what Sheriff Buck is most concerned about.

“The two things that we worry about more than anything obviously are meth and fentanyl,” said Buck. “Those are the two that we deal with more on a day to day basis. Even with meth, we still are worried about fentanyl in the meth. So, fentanyl is a big public safety issue as far as overdoses in the community but meth is still there. Marijuana is still there. It’s still illegal, if you didn’t realize, in Tennessee you can’t buy and sell marijuana.”

All bonds have been set between $25,000 and $150,000.

Click here for the full list of charges.

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