If you drive a little more than two hours northwest of Raleigh and about 50 years back in time, you will come to Mount Airy. As many know, the North Carolina town was Andy Griffith’s boyhood home and the inspiration for Mayberry.

The Mount Airy area was also home to recent arrests by federal law enforcement agencies and police forces from Virginia and North Carolina. More than 20 suspects were taken into custody on drug-trafficking charges, the Mount Airy News reported.

Operation Rolling Thunder resulted in federal arrest warrants for two dozen people in Surry County and southern Virginia, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The 24 warrants are in connection with an operation believed to distribute methamphetamine, officials said.

Those arrested are believed to be responsible for the distribution “of a large quantity of methamphetamine” in the area.

According to the report, searches conducted while warrants were recently served resulted in law enforcement officials seizing 32 grams of meth, two firearms, and two vehicles.

A man arrested in January is believed by officials to be part of the operation. At the time, he led officers on a car chase. When the car was located, cops found 31 grams of meth in the vehicle.

When he was arrested in late January, a search uncovered 92 grams of meth on him.

He and the 23 others in custody face charges of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

Clearly, convictions could mean years behind bars in federal prison.

Anyone facing similar charges should speak to a criminal defense attorney before talking to police or prosecutors.

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