Sting called "Operation Ice Pick"

A pre-dawn drug sting Thursday landed 14 Clark County residents behind bars, and more arrests were expected throughout the day.

Area law enforcement agencies converged on numerous houses in Gurdon and Arkadelphia, serving warrants on alleged drug dealers, some of whom were still dressed in nothing but their underwear at the time of their arrest. Once in custody, those arrested were taken to a bus parked at the former Rehkopf's grocery store on Main Street, Gurdon.

One by one, law enforcement loaded suspects onto the bus, which shortly after 8 a.m. was filled with seven suspected drug dealers when it left for the National Guard Armory in the Clark County Commerce Park. They were later taken to the Clark County Detention Center for booking.

Dubbed "Operation: Ice Pick," Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson said the sting was the result of multiple controlled buys over the course of about 11 months. The drugs seized in the sting consisted of methamphetamine and crack cocaine. Watson said it was a "joint effort" by several agencies, namely the Clark County Sheriff's Office, Gurdon Marshal's Office, Group 6 Drug Task Force, Clark County Prosecutor's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

More than 80 officers from multiple agencies teamed up early Thursday for a briefing before carrying out the sting.

While the operation was centered in Clark County, Watson said it covered other counties as well. Asked what prompted the sting, Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Blake Batson said, "Gurdon Marshal Don Childres met with our office and the sheriff's office and requested assistance in combating illegal trafficking of narcotics."

Watson said Thursday's sting was one of the largest to date in Clark County, with other notable operations in 2000 in Amity and in 2005 in Gurdon.

A military helicopter hovered the skies of both Gurdon and Arkadelphia to assist in surveillance.