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Alleged Ohio painkiller drug ring broken up

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The Associated Press Updated 11:51 AM Thursday, February 2, 2012

CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — State Attorney General Mike DeWine says seven search warrants have been executed and 25 arrest warrants issued in an investigation into alleged painkiller trafficking in central Ohio.

DeWine says the 10-month investigation announced Thursday found numerous examples of people illegally selling prescription painkillers in their homes, businesses and on the streets of Circleville, about 25 miles south of Columbus.

Investigators say most of the drugs were painkillers such as Oxycontin, with a smaller amount of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

The attorney general has made a statewide crackdown on illegal prescription painkiller abuse a priority, including the hiring of a painkiller czar and devoting extra resources to the fight.

Drug overdoses fueled by painkiller addiction are now the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio, surpassing car accidents.

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February 02, 2012 04:44 PM EST

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