14 Arrested In Putnam Drug Operation Thursday

14 individuals arrested Thursday on drug charges in “Operation Tis The Season.”

Sheriff Eddie Farris said the arrests came after months of surveillance and investigation. The joint operation led by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department focused on both methamphetamine and heroin.

“This time we we pretty much focused on the methamphetamine, that never really left us,” Farris said. “You know, it’s been stronger and then it got weaker and then now it’s back full speed again.”

Eight of the individuals were already in jail on drug charges. All told, the 14 individuals arrested had a total of 201 previous arrests. Five individuals had at least 15 arrests.

“It’s very frustrating and it’s not just frustrating for law enforcement,” Farris said. “I mean, we certainly are the front line people that deal with it every day. But, you know, it’s also frustrating to the court system and to the judges. Over the years going on 34 years experience that I have, until somebody hits rock bottom or until they decide that they actually want help, you cannot make somebody get help.”

Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office, the 13th Judicial Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Department of Corrections worked together on the operation. Multiple leads led to arrests.

Farris said in addition to arrests, the operation got drugs and paraphernalia off the streets.

“We got all kinds of different things,” Farris said. “We actually seized some items and vehicles and different things related to the arrest. That’s that’s one of the things that that really our best tools and I hate to say it, but when you start seizing vehicles and property and those type things, you know, it really makes it hard on them to go right back out and start start doing the same thing until they’re able to go build their funds.”