Residents of a small town in Alaska bought a return plane ticket for a woman they suspected was selling drugs, as a way to combat the spread of narcotics in the area, according to a report.
Approximately 40 residents of Galena met last week at the airport and sent a representative to meet a woman they suspected was selling methamphetamine, and had just arrived on a flight, to tell him they would pay him a $210 ticket to leave the city, The Anchorage Daily News reported on Saturday.
The woman chose to stay on the plane and take a flight that was about to take off after being told she would be watched closely if she stayed in the town.
Residents of the community of 475 people know who sells drugs in the town located 435 kilometers west of Fairbanks, said Mayor Nolan Aloysius. However, residents face legal issues to try to stop their activities.
The town has only one element of the police and a state agent, who were out of service on the day of the encounter with the suspect, the newspaper added.
The intervention at the airport came after a town hall meeting in which residents promised to confront anyone who believes they are selling drugs and trying to enter the area. When a resident of another community phoned Galena to alert them of the arrival of the woman, the residents acted immediately to prevent it.
“People started calling each other, messaging and the news spread quickly,” Aloysius said. “Everyone interrupted their work, rushed to the airport and noted their presence.”
One woman held a sign that said: “Drug traffickers are not allowed.” A man wore black clothes and wore a dog on a leash to look like a drug agent, protesters said.
“The overall feeling was successful and people were proud to be part of this,” Aloysius said.
Source: Mulitmedios
