LAKE STEVENS — A police raid at a house on Friday morning was the culmination of an eight-month investigation into the trafficking of heroin, methamphetamine and stolen property, according to authorities.
The raid included a SWAT team, a federal helicopter and the use of “flash bangs,” also known as stun grenades, said Sgt. Jim Maples with the Marysville Police Department. He oversees the north Snohomish County Property Crimes Unit, a multi-agency task force.
No shots were fired, and no one was injured, Maples said.
Eight people were in the house when police arrived around 6 a.m., including two suspects who hid in the attic. Four were arrested and booked into jail. The other four people were released pending further investigation, though they still may face charges.
The house is in foreclosure and was scheduled for auction next week, Maples said. The owner had given a few people permission to stay in the vacant home, in the 8500 block of Ninth Place NE, but many more had taken up residence there.
Complaints from neighbors started about eight months ago, Maples said.
People in the house “were committing crimes to support their drug habits, in particular heroin and meth,” he said. “It has progressively gotten worse.”
The property crimes unit has been working with the neighbors “who have basically come to their wit’s end,” Maples said. Lake Stevens Police and City Hall also helped with the investigation.
Surveillance of the house made clear “it was a big problem,” Maples said. “There was 24/7 activity.”
On Friday, detectives obtained a judge’s permission to search the house for drugs. They seized heroin, meth and two firearms.
The guns “were not reported stolen,” Maples said. “We’ll be doing further investigation.”
The house was red-tagged, meaning it’s unsafe to occupy because of unsanitary conditions, city officials said Friday.
The size of the police operation was based on activity at the house and the criminal histories of some of those involved, Maples said. The stun grenades were used to create a diversion and also protect officers, he said.
Detectives expected to find stolen property in the home, so they could obtain a second, more specific search warrant. They saw items believed to be stolen, but none immediately linked to any existing theft reports, Maples said. The suspects reportedly have ties to car prowls and burglaries in the area.
As for the arrests, “a lot of this came about because of the cooperation with the neighbors, the neighbors working with the city of Lake Stevens,” Maples said. “We certainly understand their frustration … Their cooperation really paid off on this, and we encourage more of it.”
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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