FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Monique Bond
October 24, 2011 312
814-8367
217 782-6637
Illinois State
Police
The Illinois Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) Directors &
Task Force Commanders Association Honor Law Enforcement
Professionals at Annual Awards Banquet
140 Law Enforcement Officers Awarded with Outstanding Honors
East Peoria -- The Illinois Metropolitan Enforcement Group (MEG) Directors/
Task Force (TF) Commanders Association presented its annual awards to
police officers, special agents, federal prosecutors, and other law
enforcement personnel who have demonstrated extraordinary skill through
narcotics enforcement.
The Annual Awards Ceremony honored 140 federal, state, county, and local
police officers assigned to MEG Units and State Police Drug Task Forces for
the dangerous and professional work accomplished through hundreds of drug
investigations.
Hundreds of law enforcement professionals, top brass, and their families
attended the awards ceremony and included opening remarks from Stateline
Area Narcotics Team Task Force Commander John Biffany, and a presentation
on how illegal drugs fund terrorism were made by retired Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) Operations Chief Michael A. Braun.
"These awards represent the finest examples of how our officers, teams,
drug units, and law enforcement resources collaborate on a daily basis to
ensure that communities across Illinois are safe and protected," said
Chairman Biffany. "Narcotics enforcement is dangerous work, and despite
the tough economic climate and fewer law enforcement resources, these men
and women continue to risk their lives to ensure our streets are free from
the dangers of criminal activity," he added.
Many of the enforcement initiatives are funded through federal grants, like
the Byrne/JAG Funding grant. "Grants like Byrne/JAG make it possible for
local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to partner
resources that target gangs, guns and drugs, and our work would not be
possible without the support of this continued funding," Biffany stressed.
Special agents, prosecutors, police officers, and inspectors from regions
and zones in DuPage County, East Central Illinois, Kankakee, Kendall
County, Lake County, Southwestern Illinois, Kane County, North Central,
Multi County, Quad City, Rock Island, South Central, Illinois, Southern
Illinois, State Line Area, Boone County, Belvidere, Green County,
Vermillion County, Danville, West Central, Adams County, Quincy, and Will
County, were honored for their successes in the fight to keep communities
safe and neighborhoods drug free.
.
Some of the exceptional awards include:
Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group for its leadership during
Operation Street Sweeper – a week long, multi-jurisdictional effort that
resulted in 8 search warrants, 28,455 grams of cannabis, 18 firearms, 200
grams of cocaine, 127 arrests, and $39,887 USC. Lake County MEG also
performed an airport interdiction at Waukegan Regional Airport where agents
received information about an aircraft flying from Colorado to Waukegan
carrying a load of cannabis. Agents dismantled a major distribution
operation and were able to locate 170 pounds of cannabis and conducted
multiple search warrants which resulted in the seizure of $617,630 USC.
Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group for its exceptional efforts
from July 2010 through June 2011 which resulted in 325 case initiations,
284 arrests, 114 Class X Felony arrests, seizure of $346,000 in assets, 144
drug purchases, 24 seized weapons, and the Federal indictment of eight
dangerous offenders.
Narcotics And Currency Interdiction Team for the diligent work and
interdiction skills leading to the arrest of three subjects from the Gulf
Cartel, the controlled delivery of 2,444 pounds of cannabis, and the
seizure of $1.6 million USC and two vehicles.
North Central Narcotics Task Force for the exceptional case work which
involved multiple undercover cocaine purchases, resulting in the arrests of
nine suspects, and the seizure of $415,000 USC, three kilograms of cocaine,
three vehicles, and one house.
Southeastern Illinois Drug Task Force for the seizure of 136 kilos of
cocaine, $269,000 USC, and the arrest of two individuals.
Southern Illinois Drug Task Force for the arrest of two individuals and the
seizure of 26 firearms, 5 stolen firearms, 3 machine guns, thousands of
ammunition rounds, 5 sticks of dynamite, 6 electric blasting caps, finished
methamphetamine, morphine pills, processed cannabis, and outdoor cannabis
grow operation worth over $65,000 USC.
Illinois State Police First Deputy Director Jack Garcia commended the award
recipients and echoed the need to ensure that law enforcement personnel
continue to get the training resources they need to counter new and
emerging crime trends.
"Combating the pervasive influence of organized crime will require our
officers to obtain the best, most up-to-date training on new technologies,
surveillance techniques, analytical methods, tactical safety, pharmacology,
and other international trafficking trends that are emerging into our daily
fight against a sophisticated narcotics market," said Garcia.
"Working undercover makes it difficult for these men and women to
publically share the successes, but we have a duty to educate and inform
the public when law enforcement uncovers illegal criminal and drug activity
which can have a devastating impact on the quality of life for all Illinois
communities," he added.
Keynote speaker, Michael Braun, Retired Drug Enforcement Agency Chief of
Operations, underscored the importance of aggressive drug enforcement and
the need for training and intelligence sharing through Fusion Centers.
Braun also noted the growing nexus between terrorism and drugs.
The MEGs/TFs are comprised of local, county state, and federal law
enforcement officers, and the Association's mission is to collaborate and
partner on a multi-jurisdictional level on the enforcement of gangs, guns,
and drug violations throughout the state of Illinois.
Specially-trained officers provide personnel and resources to enforce
violations and to improve the quality of life for all Illinois citizens.
These investigations culminated in the arrest of 1,112 individuals, the
confiscation of more than $6.1 million USC, the seizure of more than 184
kilos of cocaine, 2,050 kilos of cannabis, 5.1 kilos of crack cocaine, 15.1
kilos of methamphetamine, and 1.5 kilos of heroin.
The award recipients were also honored for dismantling 36 sophisticated
marijuana grow operations, including the seizure of 10,000 cultivated
marijuana plants and the seizure of over 5,000 dosages of Ecstasy, LSD, and
psilocybin mushrooms.
Fifty-52 (52) vehicles, 4 motorcycles, 5 homes, including 14 acres of land,
and 1 boat were also seized. The officers' investigative diligence also
resulted in the removal of 468 firearms and 6 sticks of dynamite with
blasting caps from Illinois communities.
Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau recently applauded the efforts
and hard work of the Illinois MEGs and Task Forces at the Association of
State Criminal Investigative Agencies' Fall Conference.
(See attached file: Firearms and Cannabis.jpg) (See attached
file: 3 tons of Cannabis.jpg)
