WINDSOR – Drug trafficking within Bertie County has suffered a major setback.

Last week, Dalton O’Neal Rose III, age 27 of 109 Dalton Drive, Windsor, and Donald Ray Bond, age 40 of 130 Cypress Lane, Windsor, were arrested by the Bertie County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit (BCSNU).

According to BCSNU Sgt. Kenny Gilliam, both arrests were key in helping to slow the sale of illegal narcotics in Bertie County.

Sgt. Gilliam cited the help of county citizens in making the Rose arrest. Due to complaints from those citizens, BCSNU officers were able to discover that Rose was in possession of a large amount of oxycodene pills.

“This narcotic has really become a popular drug in Bertie County, especially when it comes to teens and younger generations,” Sgt. Gilliam said.

Reacting on reliable information, Rose was stopped and searched on Sept. 2 at which time he was found in possession of at least 90 oxycodene pills. Rose was charged with trafficking opium and placed under a $50,000 secured bond after being processed at the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office.

Once Rose was arrested, the Narcotics Unit tracked his actions to the residence of 543 Woodard Road. This is where law enforcement believed that Rose purchased these drugs. It was then that law enforcement officers made another important discovery. Upon arriving at the Woodard Road address on Sept. 2, the officers observed Bond placing a package under the front tire of a vehicle that was parked at the residence.

Bond is no stranger to the Bertie Narcotics Unit due to his recent arrest on drug charges and is currently out on bond for those charges. When law enforcement located the package that Bond had placed under the vehicle they found it to be a plastic bag containing 24 hits of cocaine. Bond was placed under arrest and taken to the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office where he was processed and placed under a $200,000 secured bond.

“It is important for the citizens of Bertie County to know how hard we are working on those people who decide to choose to litter our streets with illegal controlled substances,” Sgt. Gilliam said. “It is the goal of the Sheriff’s Office to arrest the people who decide to make Bertie County a place to sell their illegal drugs. We want to make Bertie County a place to raise your children free from such poison and we will continue to work hard in that direction.”

Sgt. Gilliam along with Bertie Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Holley thanked the citizens for their help.

“Without them our job is impossible,” Gilliam noted. “Also we thank all the law enforcement officers that risk their lives to make these arrests a success. Success is law enforcement and citizens working together to clean up our streets.”

Those with information concerning the sale of illegal drugs are urged to contact the Bertie Sheriff’s Office at 252-794-5330.