Ohio AG: Drug task forces seized $64 million worth of illegal drugs in 2023
Ohio task forces charged with investigating drug trafficking experienced significant increases in cocaine and psilocybin, or psychedelic mushroom seizures in 2023, according to a report released Friday by the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
Drug task forces with the office's Organized Crime Investigations Commission confiscated about $64 million in narcotics and millions in cash throughout the year, a statement attributed to Attorney General Dave Yost said.
The task forces include state, local and federal law enforcement agencies and aim to get drugs, weapons and cash profits off the streets before they can impact local communities. They are funded by RecoveryOhio, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and Ohio Criminal Justice Services.
Here's a breakdown of what law enforcement recovered:
2023 Ohio drug seizure totals
Seizures from 2023 include:
272 pounds of fentanyl
349 pounds of meth
1,801 pounds of marijuana
520 pounds of cocaine
40 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms
68,112 prescription pills
The task force also recovered 2.45 pounds of heroin, 3.3 pounds of crack cocaine, 664 pounds of khat (a plant chewed for its stimulant properties), 2.5 pounds of MDMA and 2.2 pounds of xylazine (a nonopioid sedative also called “tranq”).
The street value of the drugs seized totaled $64 million, according to the release. The task forces also seized 400 firearms and $5,471,132 million in currency.
“The role of these drug task forces in the safety of our communities cannot be overstated,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in the news release. “I sincerely appreciate the collaborative work of state, local, and federal law enforcement officers in 2023, and I’m grateful for their continued dedication to public safety in the year to come.”
Cocaine and mushroom boom
The task forces have seen a surge in cocaine seizures over the years, according to the news release. Data provided in the release shows cocaine seizures by weight have more than doubled since 2019:
2023: 570 pounds
2022: 305 pounds
2021: 386 pounds
2020: 250 pounds
2019: 229 pounds
Psilocybin mushroom seizures have also increased over the years:
2023: 40.46 pounds
2022: 10.40 pounds
2021: 3.85 pounds
2020: 1.76 pounds
2019: 5.56 pounds
Notable seizures
The Central Ohio OOCIC/HIDTA Major Drug Interdiction Task Force, which operates in Franklin and Madison counties, seized more than 280 pounds of cocaine and bulk currency after executing numerous search warrants in March and April during an ongoing narcotics investigation.
The ONSET Task Force in Summit, Medina and Cuyahoga counties, working alongside Homeland Security investigations, stopped two people in August who were attempting to board a flight to San Francisco at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Police seized $27,350 from one person and $22,350 from the other. When one of the people stated he had narcotics at his residence, the task force seized 200 grams of cocaine, 2,900 grams of fentanyl, a money counter and ammunition.
The Hamilton County Major Drug Interdiction Task Force seized $62,052 in currency along with 9 kilograms of fentanyl, 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, and five firearms after a long-term investigation.
In August, the Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force, a task force serving Montgomery and Clark Counties, recovered 10,000 fentanyl pills from a Phoenix, Arizona-based drug smuggling group at a traffic stop.
A Mahoning Valley Major Drug Interdiction Task Force seized 3 pounds of cocaine, more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine and over $55,000 after serving a search warrant in Youngstown in October.
bagallion@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio drug task forces seized $64 million in illegal drugs in 2023
