In metro-east crime sting, Illinois State Police seize guns and drugs, arrest 24

Illinois State Police say a two-day violent crime suppression effort in St. Clair and Madison counties led to 24 arrests and 40 criminal charges.

The detail, conducted June 11 and 12, focused on East St. Louis and other metro-east communities. Police said 26 of the charges were felonies. Authorities also reported nine firearm-related charges, eight guns seized or recovered, 287.5 grams of cannabis seized and 198.5 grams of other controlled substances seized.

Police highlighted three traffic stops in East St. Louis and Cahokia Heights that they said resulted in the seizure of loaded firearms along with cannabis and suspected crack cocaine. Charges are pending in those cases.

State police said officers and specialized units from around Illinois assisted the agency’s statewide anti-violence effort in the region, along with the Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois.

Similar Illinois State Police stings dating back to June 2023 have, in total, netted 714 arrests and 334 gun seizures.