Local News

DA: 20 arrested in Springfield after major drug bust

Investigators confiscated 20 firearms, large amounts of drugs, and more than $400,000.

Hampden County District Attorney's Office

By Molly Farrar

Twenty people were arrested in Springfield after a large-scale investigation into two rival drug trafficking organizations, the Hampden County District Attorney announced Tuesday.

During an investigation dubbed Operation High/Schools Out, investigators identified the area of High, School, and Union Streets in Springfield as a hotspot for crime and violence between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, DA Anthony Gulluni’s office said in an announcement. They attributed the spike to rival groups “engaged in a violent and deadly armed turf war” to control the drug market.

The DA reported rampant shootings and stabbings near those streets, including 89 emergency calls for shots fired and 45 reports of aggravated assault that year. Five people have been killed there since April, the announcement said.

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“The targeted area is one of the most economically disadvantaged areas of the city,” Gulluni said. “But, this does not mean that crime should run rampant, that the vast majority of its residents who are law-abiding and decent people, should not have peace and quiet.”

‘Extraordinary successful’ investigation

Operation High/Schools Out has been “extraordinary successful” since its launch this summer, Gulluni said.

Twenty people have been arrested since August, including a man who was arrested last year in connection with assaulting a Massachusetts State Police officer.

A 43-year-old Springfield man currently on lifetime parole for a 1996 homicide was also among the 20 arrested.

Additionally, 20 guns, 10 kilograms of cocaine, half a kilogram of heroin/fentanyl, 58 grams of methamphetamine, and $406,344 were seized. Officials said there will be more indictments of alleged co-conspirators.

The Hampden County Narcotics Taskforce and the S.A.F.E Taskforce, made up of federal, state, and local partners, identified the leaders of both the organizations and the drug suppliers, officials said.

“This investigation represents the unparalleled capabilities that we’ve developed to maintain lengthy and high-level investigations that use the best technology and leverage the partnerships across law enforcement that we have forged over many years,” he said.