Police in Lackawanna and Wayne counties Thursday made arrests and confiscated thousands of dollars worth of an illegal drug which is sometimes known as "spice."
It's a synthetic form of marijuana.
Police in Lackawanna County said the raids broke up one of the largest distributions of synthetic marijuana in our area. While it is legal in other places, synthetic marijuana, or "spice," is illegal in Pennsylvania and police said it poses the same risks as other synthetic drugs, like bath salts.
Neighbors along South Main Avenue in Scranton woke up to police cars. Officers raided the place and spent the morning going in and out of a former pizza shop carrying cash and drugs.
"It's a shame because when we moved in here four years ago. It wasn't like this, it was a pizza parlor, and now it's this? You just don't feel safe," said Carol Kochis.
The property is one of ten places in Lackawanna County the police raided looking for the synthetic form of marijuana.
Police arrested Kathryn Lachance and her husband, Patrick Lachance. They are charged with supplying some stores in the county with the drug.
In a news conference officials from the Lackawanna County district attorney's office said synthetic drugs are becoming a big problem in the County.
"There are so many different variations and people have been having different reactions. Much more magnified. Synthetic drugs can have a much higher potency than other street drugs that you see," said Assistant District Attorney Robert Klein.
Officials said they confiscated about $100,000 in cash and tens of thousands of dollars worth of the "spice" drug from just one "Smokes to Go" store in Scranton. Police pulled an entire U-Haul truck worth of what they said are illegal drugs from the place.
"I was thrilled, because hopefully somethings going to be done about it now and we can put ourselves at ease, because it's scary," Kochis added.
In addition to the raids in Lackawanna County, the Wayne County district attorney announced that police in Honesdale raided a business in Honesdale that carried synthetic marijuana.
