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Last updated on Thursday, August 6, 2015
(ANDERSON) - 21 people were arrested on Wednesday in a heroin bust in Hamilton, Madison and Marion counties.
WISH TV8 reports, the sweeping arrests were made as part of a drug investigation that began in Anderson in 2014. A heroin ring was found to be run by Eddie Bluitt, and his son Telly Bluitt in Anderson.
Investigators believe that the Bluitts were distributing heroin to Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Johnson, Marion and Shelby counties.
Arrest warrants were issued for 24 people, and 21 were in custody on Wednesday.
"We won't stop and we're going to continue our efforts to rid our community of heroin and any other narcotic drug," Anderson Police Sergeant Chad Boynton said.
Slow and steady progress is how Boynton describes the drug bust Wednesday morning.
"Though we were very optimistic, we didn't expect to make 21 arrests out of the 24 people we were attempting to locate," he said.
Arrests included Steve Bond at an Anderson house on Columbus Avenue.
He's facing charges of dealing a narcotic.
A neighbor who lives across the street saw the morning raid.
"Around 9 a.m. I saw three squad cars over there," Chrishaun Beasley said.
He said he has known about drugs in the area, but never expected it this close to home.
"It's just something you're surprised about," he said. "You think you're safe in your own home."
While Anderson Police consider 21 arrests a success, they know there's still an uphill battle in fighting herion use and distribution.
"We're cautiously optimistic that this is going to slow the amount of herion coming into our community but we know that this is like placing a bandaid on a larger much more significant injury," Boynton said.
Police are still looking for three people in connection to this heroin ring suspected of both dealing and possessing the drug.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Madison County Drug Task Force detectives at (765) 648-6657.
The bust comes the same day that a needle exchange program begins in Madison County to combat the transmission of Hepatitis C among IV drug users.
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