MELBOURNE, Fla. – Melbourne police executed a search warrant at a suspected Melbourne drug house yesterday, arresting and charging two on felony drug charges, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
The raid was the result of a two-month investigation into reported drug activity at the 2618 Lowell Circle home.
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Melbourne special investigations detectives and SWAT officers executed the warrant just before 11 a.m. Thursday. Inside the home, officers found baggies, pipes, straws, needles and spoons, according to arrest reports.
Upstairs, police found a safe containing 9.3 grams of MDMA, 10.4 grams of crystal meth, 4 grams of heroin and a handgun.
Five people were in the home at the time of the raid, and two were arrested.
Derek Strickland, 29, was charged with heroin trafficking as well as possession of methamphetamine, MDMA and drug paraphernalia. Robert James, 55, faces possession of methamphetamine and MDMA charges.
Both men are being held at the Brevard County Jail Complex on no bond status.
It was the third such operation this month, part of an ongoing effort by Melbourne police to tamp down on drug crime in the city, officials said.
Melbourne police raided two suspected drug houses Jan. 3, in the 900 block of Juanita Circle and the 1700 block of Cedarwood Drive. The searches resulted in five arrests and the seizure of quantities of heroin and methamphetamine, among others.
All three raids were the result of investigations prompted by community complaints into drug and prostitution activity at the homes.
At the Cedarwood Drive home, five people were inside at the time of the raid while three were arrested. Police reported 13 people were inside the Juanita Circle home at the time of the raid; two were arrested.
"We get community complaints on houses like this where there's an uptick in traffic and suspected drug-related activity," Lt. Trevor Shaffer with Melbourne Police Department said.
Even if it turns out to be nothing, Shaffer said tips from the community are an important part of police work.