The Auburn Police Department says it has put a major dent into a growing problem with heroin use and sales in its community. The Finger Lakes Drug Task Force started an investigation a couple of months ago into street level heroin sales. The operation began in response to a noticeable increase in heroin use in the Auburn area.
Captain David Delfavero says Auburn has not had a heroin problem until recently. "It has been a noticeable increase of people being arrested with heroin. People have been committing thefts and then police have discovered they are committing the crime because they are addicted to heroin," said Delfavero.
The Cayuga County District Attorney took the heroin cases to a grand jury which returned indictments on eleven people. Police consider Paul Lowe of 77 Orchard Street, Auburn the main supplier to the area. He is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. The ten others arrested are lower level heroin dealers, according to police.
Assisting the FLDTF in making the arrests were the Auburn Police Department, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshal's Service, the New York State Police, the Syracuse Police Department, and Oswego City Police Department.
