At least 150 police officers raided a drug-ridden public housing complex in West Baltimore yesterday, targeting more than two dozen people accused of supplying residents and others with heroin and cocaine.
The raids at 27 apartments in three high-rise buildings at the George B. Murphy Homes, and at several other nearby buildings, followed the recent arrests of five people charged as major drug suppliers to the development.
Yesterday's raids began at 7 a.m., as city and housing police officers swept through the buildings, hitting apartments scattered throughout the towers. They were searching for 27 people charged in drug warrants. By last night, 17 -- including three juveniles -- had been arrested.
L Police said they seized $75,000 worth of cocaine and heroin.
"Last Saturday, we got the suppliers. Now, we are dealing with the stash houses and the distribution houses," said Maj. Leonard Hamm, commander of the Central District.
He described the Murphy Homes area, in the 1000 block of Argyle Ave and the 700 and 800 blocks of George St., as dangerous.
"It was an open-air drug market emanating from those projects," the police commander said. "It was causing problems for the community and for my troops. Bottles were thrown at patrol cars."
On Dec. 3, police raided a house in the 2800 block of Walbrook Ave. and another in the 700 block of N. Augusta Ave., in Edmondson Village, seizing four cars, two fully loaded 9 mm semiautomatic machine pistols and thousands of dollars in cash. Police said they also seized 3 ounces of heroin that, when diluted and sold on the street, could supply 2,000 people with one dose apiece.