7 arrested during narcotics operation in Seattle

Seattle officers arrested seven people in a narcotics operation on Friday.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) stated, via a Blotter post on Monday, the investigation occurred in the Chinatown-International District and Belltown.

On January 3 around 6 p.m., according to SPD, officers conducted the operation near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson and arrested five people. Police said two additional suspects were arrested in Belltown.

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According to the department, police seized more than 265 grams of narcotics, including methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack cocaine. Officers also found more than $680 in cash and two knives.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) labels opioids as narcotics.

“Also known as ‘opioids,’ the term ‘narcotic’ comes from the Greek word for ‘stupor’ and originally referred to a variety of substances that dulled the senses and relieved pain,” the DEA and Department of Justice (DOJ) stated in an online fact sheet. “Though some people still refer to all drugs as ‘narcotics,’ today ‘narcotic’ refers to opium, opium derivatives and their semi-synthetic
substitutes.”

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Narcotic use can create a harmful psychological dependence, according to the DEA and DOJ.

“The user may continue to think and talk about using drugs and feel overwhelmed coping with daily activities,” the fact sheet states. “Relapse is common if there are not changes to the physical environment or the behavioral motivators that prompted the abuse in the first place.”

SPD reported the suspects were booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of narcotics-related charges.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.