East Point’s search for a homicide suspect turned into a major drug bust on Tuesday, as police and federal agents say they found a hefty stash of marijuana, prescription cough syrup and a pistol while making the arrest.
According to authorities, the haul included roughly 17 pounds of marijuana along with thousands of grams of promethazine with codeine.
Arrest and seizure
Members of the East Point Police Department’s Special Operations Unit teamed up with the FBI to track down and arrest the homicide suspect inside city limits, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. During the search, officers reported recovering about 17 pounds of marijuana, 3,300 grams of promethazine with codeine and what they described as a Draco pistol.
The department struck a confident tone after the arrest. “We will continue to work tirelessly to protect our city and combat all forms of criminal activity,” officials said in a statement, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Chief Shawn Buchanan also delivered a succinct message: “WE OUT HERE.”
What was recovered
Promethazine with codeine is a prescription cough syrup that is sometimes diverted for recreational use in concoctions known as “lean.” Regional law enforcement has run into the syrup before in drug investigations, often right alongside large quantities of marijuana.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has previously reported on a major metro-area stash that included promethazine and hundreds of pounds of marijuana, underscoring how local drug seizures frequently combine cannabis with diverted prescription syrup.
Where the case stands
East Point police have not released the name of the person taken into custody or publicly linked the arrest to a specific homicide. Officials also have not said whether they expect state or federal charges tied to the drugs or the weapon.
Investigators typically present their findings to prosecutors before any additional counts are filed, so for now, the potential legal fallout from the seizure remains an open question.
Enforcement in context
The bust lands amid ongoing multi-agency crackdowns across metro Atlanta. A U.S. Marshals-led fugitive operation in late March and early April resulted in dozens of arrests and the seizure of roughly 57 pounds of narcotics, reflecting continued coordinated pressure on violent fugitives and drug trafficking in the region, according to CBS News Atlanta.
East Point officials have not indicated whether this latest arrest is part of any broader sweep.
