Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine launched operations Wednesday at the newest division of the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center.
The southwest Ohio ONIC office in West Chester Twp. in Butler County is staffed with criminal intelligence analysts and computer forensic specialists who help local law enforcement agencies trace drug trafficking organizations back to ringleaders and suppliers through intelligence-driven investigations, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
DeWine first launched the ONIC in 2019 with offices in Columbus and Cleveland. Due to statewide demand for ONIC’s services, the governor worked with the Ohio General Assembly to secure additional funding to create new offices in northwest and southwest Ohio.
“As drugs continue to flow into our country from the southern border, the expansion of our Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center into southwest Ohio shows our state’s ongoing commitment to doing all we can to rid our communities of deadly narcotics,” DeWine said. “Digital evidence continues to play an increasing role in the drug trade, and our ONIC teams offer expert criminal intelligence and technical forensic support to help our local law enforcement officers intercept drugs and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”
Since the ONIC’s inception, intelligence analysts and forensic specialists have assisted in nearly 2,000 criminal investigations involving the extraction and analysis of more than 4,300 cellphones, more than five million images and videos, and more than five million text messages.
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