MONROE — Five people were arrested Friday after a SWAT team raided a home in Monroe.
“This is a long-standing drug house,” Monroe police spokeswoman Debbie Willis said.
The raid started about 10 a.m. in the 500 block of S. Lewis Street, south of downtown. The homeowner, 51, and his girlfriend, 47, were among those taken to the Snohomish County Jail. The couple is suspected of using the home for drug trafficking, which can be a felony offense. Two other east county men were arrested on warrants, and the fifth arrest was for an Auburn woman suspected of a burglary.
There were 17 people inside the house altogether when a regional special weapons and tactics team arrived, Willis said. A police robot and flashbangs, also known as stun grenades, were deployed, and the noise could be heard for several blocks, she said.
“Not everyone was cooperative to come out right away,” she said.
Heroin and methamphetamine reportedly were found inside the home. The two-story house with a basement is nearly a century old, according to property records.
The search warrant was the result of a lengthy investigation by Monroe’s Pro-Act Team, a group of officers who aim to reduce and enforce drug and property crimes, Willis said. Tips from the public also were a factor.
More than 30 officers were involved in the operation, some of whom remained on scene as of 4 p.m. Friday. Drug houses are difficult to investigate to create long-term change, instead of making a few arrests on the fly, Willis said.
“These are the homes in any neighborhood,” she said. “They (neighbors) just want them to go away.”
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rikkiking.
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