HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania State Police recently participated in the 6-State Trooper Project, a three-day enforcement campaign with an emphasis on criminal patrol and reducing the flow of illegal opioids and other drugs into the commonwealth.

From March 8 through March 10, 2018, Pennsylvania State Police troopers made 139 drug arrests and 19 arrests for weapons violations. Seventy-five bricks of heroin and hundreds of stamp bags were seized in separate traffic stops, as well as cocaine, methamphetamine, and thousands of dollars of suspected drug currency.

“Enforcement through drug interdiction is an important part of the battle against the opioid epidemic, in Pennsylvania and nationwide,” said Major Edward Hoke, director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Patrol. “Together with our law enforcement partners in the region, we are working diligently to prevent illegal activity on our highways and interstates.”

The 6-State Trooper Project is a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania State Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Kentucky State Police, Indiana State Police, West Virginia State Police, and Michigan State Police with the goal of enhancing highway safety, criminal patrol, and intelligence sharing.

The next initiative will take place from April 15 to April 21, 2018, and will focus on distracted driving.