Police on Wednesday began arresting 22 people named in drug-related arrest warrants in Searcy County as the result of a months-long operation called Summer Ice.

Prosecuting Attorney Cody Hiland said he thought about 19 of the purported drug traffickers had been taken into custody.

The operation, which officially began in January, was a joint effort by the Searcy County sheriff's office, the 20th Judicial Circuit's drug task force and the Arkansas State Police.

During the investigation, agents conducted "back-to-back controlled purchases from identified targets in Searcy County," a drug task force news release said.

Authorities said the drugs being sold were methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription pills. Some purchases took place before January -- as early as September -- and the last ones were in May, the release said.

"Some of the controlled purchases [were] consummated within 1,000 [yards] of schools, playgrounds or recreational parks," the release added.

Drug sales near places such as schools can mean tougher sentences upon conviction.

Hiland said the investigation is ongoing.

"I would expect additional persons to be arrested," as well as additional charges against some of those already arrested, Hiland said.

Asked if the jail had room for so many people, Sheriff Donald Ragland said, "We're making room. Most of them are bonding out."

Drugs such as methamphetamine are "our greatest problem," Ragland said. "It's the problem that starts all other problems. It goes from theft as a result of trying to get money to buy it to assaults on family members.

"This will put a dent in it, and it will slow it up for a while. But will it stop it? I don't think so until we get some of the big boys."

Hiland credited the cooperation among the sheriff's office and other agencies for the arrests.

"That cooperation is absolutely necessary to work these big cases, and these big cases help make a dent in meth distribution in these rural counties," he said.

State Desk on 06/12/2014