CHICAGO - The Chicago Police Department carried out several raids overnight after infiltrating a Facebook group where guns and drug were being sold, according to WGN.
Dozens of suspects were arrested, including a Chicago Public School teacher.
This was a 10-month operation that began in February of this year when a police informant told investigators about gun and drug trafficking going on in a dark corner of social media – the so-called “secret” groups on Facebook.
50 people were arrested in last night’s raid which took place all over the city from the North Side to the West Side and the South Side.
Police say a CPS teacher was arrested at Leland Elementary school this week where that teacher also was found with drug paraphernalia.
Undercover officers were able to pose as drug and gun purchasers, and over the course of the investigation got 18 illegal guns off the street.
Police say this investigation was complicated and lengthy, in part because Facebook was not cooperative in trying to identify criminal activity.
Police estimate there are dozens and dozens of illegal Facebook groups that are being used to facilitate crimes including drugs, guns and human trafficking.
