Bust targets sellers of synthetic drugs

An "Operation Smoked Out" undercover bust in Grundy County resulted in the seizure of 348 packages of bath salts and synthetic marijuana, according to Attorney General Lisa Madigan in a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.

The products carry a street value of $5,945.

"These operations put retailers on notice that law enforcement is focused on getting these illegal synthetic drugs out of Illinois stores," Madigan said. "The operations also serve to alert the public that synthetic drugs are potentially deadly."

According to the press release, the Grundy County Sheriff's Department joined investigators from the Attorney General's office in a sweep last week at Diamond Tobacco, 2435 E. Division, in Diamond.

"This sends a clear message to anyone that believes synthetic drugs are legal in Grundy County or anywhere in the state of Illinois. They are not, and we will not allow any individual or business to sell them," Grundy County Sheriff Terry Marketti said. "We will continue to work with the Attorney General's office and local agencies to conduct frequent checks to make sure local retailers are in compliance. Synthetics are as dangerous as any other controlled substance."

These operations follow several others conducted earlier this month in the southern Illinois cities of Centralia and Pinckneyville that netted 3,373 packages of synthetic drugs. To date, Madigan said Operation Smoked Out has confiscated 5,700 packages of illegal synthetics with a street value of $115,135 from 20 retail establishments in seven Illinois counties.

"The sale of illegal synthetic drugs in Illinois and specifically Grundy County is a major concern of the Grundy County State's Attorney's Office," Grundy County State's Attorney John Bates said. "With the assistance of the Attorney General and local law enforcement, we will do all we can to keep people safe from the effects of these dangerous products.

"Every package of these synthetic drugs that we can keep away from the public and especially the youth of Grundy County is a step in the right direction."

Synthetic drug abuse is on the rise, with Poison Control Centers across the country noticing a dramatic increase in calls about synthetic marijuana and "bath salts," another type of synthetic drug that contains chemical compounds that mimic the effects of cocaine or methamphetamine.