DETROIT (WWJ) -- A law enforcement task force conducted multiple drug raids across three counties on Wednesday as part of a special operation dubbed "Operation Candyman."
Michigan State Police said the Metro Narcotics Enforcement Team (MNET) would be serving search warrants in Oakland, Wayne and Genesee counties in what police called "a large scale opioid diversion operation."
At 10 a.m., officers were at Lighthouse Medical center, on the corner of Mile Rd. and Northlawn in Detroit.
Officials told WWJ's Ryan Marshall that the clinic is part of a "pill mill" operation in which nurse practitioners have issued illegal prescriptions for tens of thousands of controlled drugs — specifically hydrocodone and oxycodone — with most being illegally diverted for street sales.
Along with Detroit, warrants were executed at locations in West Bloomfield, Grand Blanc, Van Buren Township and Taylor.
Five suspects have been detained: a 67-year-old West Bloomfield man, a 41- year-old Grand Blanc woman, a 47-year-old Van Buren Twp, woman, a 30-year-old Detroit man, and a 53-year-old Taylor woman.
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Detectives were continuing to search the clinic and interview “patients” that were inside as well as suspects, police said in a noon update.
MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw said charges have not been filed, but are expected against at least four people in the case.
"It's going to be the main guy that's running this diversion operation, somebody that worked as security, so to speak, and did the money handling and the transactions, and also two nurse practitioners," Shaw said.
Shaw said while there's a lot of talk about marijuana sales — both legal and illegal — these days, opioids should be more of a focus.
"This is what's killing Michiganders," he said. "It's people doing exactly what they're doing right out here. There are literally busloads of people being driven up to this establishment to get their illegal prescriptions."
MNET is a narcotics task force consisting of state, local and federal police agencies.
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