FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Multiple agencies, mostly led by the Fairmont Police Department of the Three Rivers Violent Crime Task Force, arrested 30 this week on 87 different counts of drug activity during operation “Spring Cleaning.” Eighty-one of the charges were related to the sale of the deadly drug fentanyl.

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Sgt. Tyler Hall with the Fairmont Police Department said the arrests are not all connected and were developed over the last several months as part of multiple investigations.

“We’re always going to target people that are selling around our protected areas,” Hall said. “Around our playgrounds, schools, and public housing—those are the areas we’re going to continue to focus on.”

Hall said some of the arrests were delayed so as not to jeopardize active investigations that are now closed. Officials said they hope the scope of the operation will get the attention of those battling substance use disorder who could be seeking treatment.

“Some of these cases date back to 2021,” Hall said. “Most would have been started in the last 18 months; these are multiple, ongoing investigations.”

The operation included the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, the White Police Department, Mannington Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, along with all of the corrections support staff. Hall said when there are plans to handle this many suspects on the same day, extensive coordination is required.

“The North Central Regional, of course, the Holding and Transport officers with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, even Animal Control because some of these people have pets,” Hall said. “There are a lot of people involved in an operation like this.”

Tips from the public sparked many of the investigations that resulted in arrests this week. Police said tips are very important to police, and while residents might not see immediate action, each tip is part of the puzzle that gets police closer to the warrant phase of an investigation.

“We do the best we can to be everywhere we can in the city, but we don’t live in each one of these neighborhoods, so we need people to call in if they’ve noticed something going on that is not normal behavior in their neighborhood so we can take a look at it,” Hall said.

Tips can be left online or by calling the Fairmont Police Department Detective Division at 304-366-2217.