The Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team received the 2007 Agency of the Year Award for Western Washington from the federally funded Western State Information Network.

OPNET representatives received a plaque for exemplifying the spirit of sharing and cooperation among agencies during a conference in Sacramento, Calif., last month.

The information network assists task forces throughout California, Alaska, Oregon, Hawaii and Washington with analytical and technical support.

The OPNET unit is comprised of full-time detectives from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, the Sequim Police Department, the Port Angeles Police Department, Washington State Patrol, the Lower Elwha Tribal Police and the U.S. Border Patrol and is supported in its investigations by other agencies.

The Forks Police Department, Port Townsend Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Neah Bay Tribal Police, LaPush Tribal Police, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DEA, FBI, U.S. Parks Service and the U.S. Forest Service are just some of the agencies that work regularly with OPNET to react to illegal drugs on the Olympic Peninsula.

In 2007, OPNET was highly successful in dismantling a major methamphetamine drug trafficking organization operating in Grays Harbor and Forks. This organization supplied much of the methamphetamine to the area, including Port Angeles and Sequim. Thousands of dollars worth of assets and drugs were seized and numerous suspects arrested in this operation known as Crystal Rain.

In addition, OPNET was instrumental in the 2007 disruption of a marijuana growing ring operating at least three grows in Clallam County and extending to other counties in Western Washington and Oregon.