'Operation Snow Plow' nets $4 million of cocaine in Savannah. This man escaped arrest, police say

A joint investigation between the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT), Drug Enforcement Administration and several other law enforcement agencies has led to the arrest of nine people and taken $4 million of cocaine off the streets, and that is just the start, according to a post on the CNT Facebook page.

The cocaine seizure is the largest in the team's history, the post said, with 25 kilograms recovered.

In addition to that, the investigation, dubbed "Operation Snow Plow" by the CNT, turned up 40 lbs of marijuana, five ounces of ecstasy, 17 bottles of codeine, $430,000 in cash and 21 firearms, two of which were stolen, the post said. Some of the guns were assault rifles. Many of the weapons seized were taken from convicted felons.

Authorities also seized a number of vehicles, including a Corvette, according to the post.

So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the investigation. Five of them are from the Savannah area, while the other four are from Texas, the post said. They range in age from 35 to 51 years old.

Operations were carried out at a number of Savannah-area hotels on Monday, March 5, the release said. Following those, seven search warrants were served

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CNT officials said on Facebook that their investigation remains ongoing and they expect more arrests to be made.

Based on a 2017 investigation by the CNT, DEA and the United States Postal Inspectors, it is believed that a drug distribution group with around 30 members has been active in the Chatham County area, led by 43-year-old Herman Felix Williams of Pooler and Savannah and 38-year-old Omar “Fresh” Jajuan Griffin of Savannah, Pooler and Atlanta, according to the release.

Griffin was not arrested in the operation, and authorities are asking for help in locating him. They identify him as a "black male, 5 foot 8 inches, 165 lbs, short black hair, brown eyes, and clean cut." They say he is known to grow his facial hair out and to cover his face with hooded clothing.

If you have any information about Griffin or his whereabouts, you are asked to contact CNT at (912) 652-3900 or CrimeStoppers at (912) 234-2020, where you can remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward.

Chatham County Police, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Aviation Unit, Savannah Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Camden County Sheriff’s Office, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office also participated in the investigation, as did the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

“I am extremely pleased with the outcome of this investigation and thankful for the working partnerships we have," said CNT Director Everette Ragan in the post. "This was a dangerous organization that profited from poisoning our community. I strongly believe this case sends a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. Our community deserves better and we stand ready to defend it.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 11:58 AM with the headline "'Operation Snow Plow' nets $4 million of cocaine in Savannah. This man escaped arrest, police say."