Authorities made two arrests Thursday morning in a sting aimed at smashing a local drug ring. According to the Worcester Police Department, officers from the Vice Squad executed a search warrant at a Williamsburg Drive residence, nabbing two suspects for drug possession with intent to distribute.

Shawn Shavies, 58, was apprehended as he exited the building slated for the raid. Meanwhile, inside the residence, cops reportedly discovered a cache of drugs and paraphernalia. Joined later by 55-year-old Julie Tierney, both occupiers of the dwelling were thrown the book: a charge each of Possession with Intent to Distribute Class B substances.

The operation, which unfolded at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, sends yet another strong signal to the drug peddlers operating in the city. In their fight against the narcotics scourge, law enforcement agencies continue to imply their unyielding commitment to expose and cut down these illicit networks.

Details on the specific drugs seized during the search have not been disclosed. Nonetheless, the charge implies the presence of a significant quantity, the kind that shifts from personal use to the weightier offense of intent to distribute. The aftermath of the raid left the residence, once a hive of illicit activity, wrapped in police tape as a testament to the department's crackdown.