Police arrested 25 people and seized $70,000 worth of drugs and $11,000 in cash during an investigation resulting in what police call “the largest drug bust in DeKalb County.”

Drugs confiscated during the nine-month investigation included cannabis, psilocybin (mushrooms), hashish, cocaine and LSD. Police seized 11 weapons, including handguns, rifles, semi-automatic guns, ammunition, and a personal computer, which dealers used to keep records of their sales.

A ledger seized by the police revealed that one person earned more than $.25 million in gross sales, netting a profit of $99,000 during an 11-month period.

Investigations of the drug rings began in October 1987 and are still continuing, police said at a press conference Tuesday. “We confiscated a lot of weapons and dope, but this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Cpt. Jim Laben of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said.

Police used undercover officers and search warrants to make the arrests, a majority of which were cocaine related.

“In most of the cases, people were dealing in the area in which they lived,” said DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott.

“The cases were spread all over the county—a lot of local people were involved,” said Detective Sgt. Chuck Kross of the DeKalb Police Department. “A lot of people in this county don’t think there’s a problem with cocaine. I think this shows there is a problem.”

“Drugs are related to a lot of other offenses,” said Mike Coghlan, First Assistant State’s Attorney in DeKalb. He said people will steal property in order to purchase drugs.

Laben said, “At the price of cocaine, about $100 a gram, there’s no way these kids can support the habit on a $10 a week allowance. One fourth of a million dollars worth of cocaine was sold. Somewhere, someone had to come up with the money to buy this stuff,” Laben said.

“Many of the drug dealers were operating two years or longer,” said Kross.

Police said there was “not really” an “NIU connection,” although one source said some dealings occurred on campus.

Sgt. Ralph Taylor, University Police investigations supervisor, said although the UPs communicate with other police departments on some matters, they did not assist in these cases.

Of the arrests, which carried felony penalties, 16 people were charged with delivery or possession with intent to deliver cocaine, three people were charged with possession of controlled substances, four individuals were arrested for violation of the Cannabis Control act, one person was charged with delivery of LSD and one person was charged with unlawful possession with intent to deliver mushrooms.

Two arrests resulted in felony convictions. One person was fined $255, and one was fined $105.

Maximum penalties for the drug charges vary in severity. A Class X felony for intent to sell more than 15 grams of cocaine carries a maximum penalty of 30 to 60 years in prison and a $.5 million fine, said Coghlan.

Police released the arrest information “to encourage more people to call Crime Stoppers (and report suspected drug-related activities).”

Police credit the success of the investigation to the coordinated efforts of several agencies. The police worked with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s office, area police departments, the County Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois State-Police Division of Criminal Investigation, and Crime Stoppers.