Drug Force Arrests 12 in Costa Mesa : Police: Sweep is the culmination of a monthlong investigation.
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COSTA MESA — Drug and gang investigators arrested 12 people during an evening sweep of three apartment complexes, authorities said Friday.
The suspects, aged 17 to 27, were jailed Thursday as part of a monthlong undercover investigation of street drug sales in the 1900 block of Pomona Avenue, said Sgt. Loren Wyrick, who heads the vice and narcotics unit.
Officers said they had noticed an increase in drug sales in the southern Costa Mesa neighborhood for the past few weeks.
“We try to keep close tabs on it, and had meetings with residents in the area and had meetings with apartment owners,” Wyrick said. In an effort to combat future problems, officers urged apartment owners to install better lighting and fence certain areas to combat the street sales, he said. Police also had Southern California Edison Co. install more lighting along the street, Wyrick said.
Wyrick said 10 men were booked on suspicion of narcotics sales or possession of drugs for sale. Two others were booked on probation violations, he said.
Undercover officers bought cocaine from some of those arrested as part of the investigation, police said.
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