Over the last year, the Polk County Narcotics division has seized more than $147,000 of illegal drugs and money, according to the Polk County Sheriffs Office.

The sheriffs office made the largest seizure of all time last year, seizing more than $101,000 in cash from a vehicle stop.

More recently, the sheriffs office has seized $12,000 in two separate cases as well as being paid $34,211 over the last year in state drug tax money.

State drug tax money is paid to the department when persons convicted of drug charges are fined by the state. The arresting department sends seized drug money to the DEA and later receives approximately 80 percent of the money back. The department then can use that money for drug enforcement needs, such as to buy equipment and pay officers overtime for enforcement. The sheriffs office has not yet received its portion of the more than $101,000 it seized.

The sheriffs office has made a total of 62 arrests over the last year for illegal drug operations, 29 of which were felonies.

The narcotics unit has also begun close operations with neighboring Rutherford County as well as working more closely with local departments, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Spartanburg County, S.C. Sheriffs Office, the DEA (federal Drug Enforcement Administration) and the National Guard.

Working closely with the Rutherford County Sheriffs Office has perhaps been the most productive for Polk County, according to Det. Sgt. Michael Capps. Capps has been sworn to make arrests in Rutherford County and a Rutherford County officer has been sworn to make arrests in Polk. Capps says he and the Rutherford County officer work together almost daily and the departments split money seized between the two agencies on any joint operations.

The narcotics unit has busted several indoor marijuana growing operations recently, including a small one in Saluda and a larger one with 203 indoor plants in Rutherford County.

Polk County was also involved recently in a large operation just over the county line in Rutherford County in which a mail carrier in Rutherford County was arrested for selling prescription medications after stealing them out of the mail.

The sheriffs office has also recently set up a drug tip line that allows people to call the sheriffs office about illegal drug activity in the county and remain anonymous. Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill says he encourages any residents who know of illegal drug activity going on in their neighborhoods to call 828-894-8707 and leave an anonymous tip.