Authorities arrested 27 people in Hickory this weekend when N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agents worked undercover at four convenience stores.
The 27 people were arrested on 44 charges Saturday. Most of those charges were drug related. Mark Senter, the ALE supervisor for district seven, which covers Catawba County, said the undercover operations sometimes yield many alcohol arrests and sometimes, like in this instance, end with more drug arrests.
The agents arrested one person on three felony drug charges. They also brought seven misdemeanor drug charges, six possession of drug paraphernalia charges and 28 other charges, such as carrying a concealed weapon with no permit, underage possession of alcohol and driving while license revoked.
ALE agents posed as clerks or customers to look for any illegal activity. During the operation, the undercover agents radioed any violations to nearby ALE agents who weren't undercover, who then stopped people after they left the premises.
Senter said the undercover operation is often conducted at the request of the storeowner.
"It's refreshing to get requests from merchants who want assistance from law enforcement to reduce crime around their stores," he said. "We look forward to partnering with the community to make this an on-going effort."
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