5 arrested, pounds of fentanyl recovered in Whatcom County bust

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — An investigation led by the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force led to several arrests and the recovery of pounds suspected fentanyl and thousands of dollars in cash.

Reports of increasing opioid overdoses and open-air drug use in Bellingham led the task force and members of the DEA’s Bellingham office to begin surveillance in the parts of the city.

Authorities discovered connections between a Mexican drug trafficking organization and local drug dealers believed to be selling large amounts of fentanyl in the city and Whatcom County.

When search warrants were served at two locations and two vehicles in Whatcom County, five people were arrested and about 3.24 pounds of suspected powdered fentanyl were seized, along with about $6,000 in cash.

The locations were in the 6000 block of Neevel Road, east of Ferndale, and the 5300 block of Guide Meridian in Bellingham.

Investigators also found a sawed-off shotgun, multiple cell phones, suspected drug ledger notes, multiple empty baggies, a scale with residue, and shotgun shells.

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