(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

State and regional law enforcement agencies continue to fight diligently against one of West Virginia’s most dangerous foes: the flow of fentanyl and other drugs that continues to endanger and kill Mountain States residents still falling victim to the substance abuse epidemic.

On Sept. 10, the West Virginia State Police, the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area worked together on what has been billed as one of the largest fentanyl busts in state history, in Mercer County.

It yielded 54 pounds of suspected fentanyl, 70 pounds of suspected crystal meth, 23 pounds of marijuana, 15 firearms and three brick presses. Estimates for the fentanyl alone were that it was worth $825,000 and was enough to kill more than 12 million people.

In addition to the state and regional level help, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department and Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney Brian Cochran, the Bluefield Police Department and sheriff’s departments in Wyoming and McDowell counties made sure the months-long investigation was concluded with a resounding success.

Thank goodness there is such a team of law enforcement officers, investigators and prosecutors staying focused on defeating this monster. While we owe them our thanks, they — and we — know their work is far from finished.

Elected officials in Charleston will no doubt use this particular event as a reminder. Their responsibility is to focus on getting us past the economic doldrums and socio-cultural hurdles that spurred the hopelessness that made so many fall prey to this plague. While we wait for them to do their job on that front, we continue to be grateful for the evidence those in the trenches are doing — and will continue to do — theirs.