Multi-agency drug operation leads to major narcotics seizure

UNION COUNTY, Ga. — A multi-agency drug investigation spanning Georgia and North Carolina resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine and fentanyl and the arrest of two suspected traffickers, authorities announced this week.

The operation involved the Union County Safe Street Task Force, Cherokee County, North Carolina narcotics agents, and deputies from Gilmer County, Georgia. Officials said the investigation targeted known drug traffickers operating throughout the region.

During the operation, officers seized more than 3 ounces of methamphetamine and approximately half an ounce of fentanyl before the drugs could be distributed in communities across North Carolina and Georgia. Authorities said the narcotics were destined for locations in Cherokee County, North Carolina, and Union County, Georgia.

Law enforcement officials noted that Gilmer County’s newest K-9, Ruckus, played a significant role in the investigation.

As a result of the operation, authorities arrested Forest Shane Lynn and Starla Normand on June 22. Both were charged with narcotics trafficking.

Union County Sheriff Shawn Dyer credited the success of the operation to strong cooperation among neighboring law enforcement agencies.

“We are proud to continue working alongside our neighboring agencies to identify and stop those responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our communities,” Dyer said in a statement. “This seizure is a direct result of strong interagency cooperation, dedicated investigators, and valuable information provided by the public. There is no doubt these narcotics would have made their way onto the streets of Cherokee County, Union County, and beyond had they not been intercepted.”

Dyer said public assistance remains an important tool in ongoing investigations involving drug trafficking organizations operating throughout the region.

Officials from Cherokee, Gilmer, Fannin and Union counties said they remain committed to working together to disrupt illegal drug trafficking networks and prevent dangerous narcotics from reaching local communities.