Members of law enforcement from all over Columbiana County are rounding up alleged drug dealers and users as part of a county-wide drug sweep.
Two different grand juries handed down nearly a hundred different drug-related indictments.

So far police and sheriff deputies in Columbiana County have arrested over 40 people who they say are responsible for the drug problems plaguing the county.
The drug of choice is heroin and according to Sheriff Raymond Stone, it's an ongoing battle.

"Most of them in our area are small-time users and dealers but there are some that come down from Youngstown that we are indicting. This is just a large network, basically, it's everywhere," says Stone.

The indictments came from a joint investigation between the Columbiana County Drug Task Force, the sheriff's office and many local police departments, including East Liverpool.

The ages of those arrested range from 20 to 61.  16 of those indicted were already in jail or prison.

The sheriff says when you take a hundred people off the streets for drug crimes that will also make a dent in stopping other crimes in the county.
Many heroin addicts spend on average $80-$300 a day to fuel their habit.

"These people don't have jobs so they are getting their money from somewhere and it's usually from illegal activity," says Stone.

East Liverpool Police Chief, John Lane, says, "Drugs fuel all the other crimes. You got your thefts and your assaults and your shootings, they all stem from one thing...drugs! That's why you need people to work and stay dedicated to that. You get all the indictments from that and it stops it. If you had enough people to do it.  It just seems you can't get the funding to get the people you need."

Even after these arrests law enforcement officers say there's no time to rest. Their drug investigations will continue as the high demand for heroin continues.