Police in both Sunnyvale and Santa Clara have broken up drug dens, one resulting in six arrests and the other with the recovery of a pound of methamphetamine.
On Aug. 27, both departments posted the arrests on NextDoor.
The Santa Clara arrest took place Aug. 22, according to the post. The arrest came after an investigation into an increase in property crimes at the Santa Clara Square Apartments, 3320 Montgomery Dr. in Santa Clara, beginning in mid-July.
Detectives closed in on the suspects after their investigation revealed the crooks had used the identity of a mail-theft victim to fraudulently rent an apartment.
The Santa Clara Police Department arrested six suspects, including a wanted felon who tried to flee the scene.
Inside the apartment, detectives recovered stolen property, mail, credit cards, checks, and “equipment used in fraudulent activities,” along with fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Sunnyvale police also recovered meth in another arrest — a pound of it.
For a week prior to the arrest, Sunnyvale police had been working to determine the identity of a suspect who provided false identification during a traffic stop.
With the help of the community crime unit, police determined the suspect was out on bail following a gun possession arrest.
On Aug. 26, Sunnyvale police executed a search warrant on the suspect’s home, uncovering a pound of methamphetamine, a credit card manufacturing device, and a stolen police officer’s uniform.
The suspect had a “long history of burglary, drugs and identity theft,” according to the post.
The Santa Clara arrests come a little over a week after Santa Clara police broke up a mail theft ring. Whether the crimes were connected to that bust, or to each other, remains unclear. Police did not name the suspects.
Inquiries to the Santa Clara Police Department’s spokesperson, Lt. Mike Crescini, and Sunnyvale Public Safety’s spokesperson, Capt. Dzanh Le, shortly after the posts went unanswered by Friday morning.
