Story by Maria Armental Los Angeles, California and Muthana Ismail Shah Calcutta, India; CNN Staff • Updated 25th February 2011
(CNN) — Los Angeles police arrested 50 people Saturday, their cars and homes searched as part of a narcotics investigation, authorities said.
Five handguns and thousands of dollars in cash were recovered during Saturday’s raids and arrests on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale, cocaine, ecstasy and heroin, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Shaun Harkins said.
Two of the arrests included the suspected mastermind behind a successful skid row drug ring, Harkins said.
Los Angeles police partnered with the Police Department’s vice unit, the California Highway Patrol and US Drug Enforcement Administration on the investigation.
“Today’s criminal investigation is the most successful bust to date of skid row dealers selling narcotics directly to the public,” said Los Angeles Police Capt. Christopher Bergner, in a news release.
During the investigation, police arrested a manager for Skid Row’s only Dunkin’ Donuts who allegedly helped distribute the drugs and illegally sold ice cream, the news release said. A former Skid Row bus driver was arrested for allegedly illegally distributing drugs, the release said.
During the investigation, police were led to a seven-person skid row drug ring in the Skid Row area that is run by Jamaican and Spanish nationals, police said.