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63 People Arrested In Detroit Crime Sweep Dubbed "March Madness"

DETROIT (WWJ) - A total of 63 people were arrested and about two dozen illegal weapons were seized in the latest Detroit police crime sweep.

Police said in a release Wednesday that the raid they're calling "Operation March Madness" also netted two grams of cocaine, three grams of heroin, about 25 pounds of marijuana, more than 4,000 pills and about $14,500.

Detroit officers, assisted by several other law enforcement agencies, on Tuesday targeted the 5th and 9th precincts on Detroit's east side and the 6th precinct on the west side.

Forty-four of the 63 arrests were for felonies, police said.

This sweep comes after 40 people were arrested last month on drug and other criminal warrants, just north of the city's New Center Area

In January, police executed around 100 warrants in a double raid they called "Operation Restore Order," targeting two high-crime areas, on both the east and west side of Detroit.

Several dozen people were arrested in December at a housing complex. That raid, dubbed "Operation Mistletoe," targeted drug houses, liquor stores, and residences where parole violators were thought to be hiding.

Last November, neighbors clapped and cheered as over 150 Detroit police officers swept through a crime-plagued east side neighborhood, arresting 32 people.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig has said that these raids, targeting the most crime-ridden areas of the city, will continue.  He's been on the job as the city's top cop since last June.

TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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