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Maine Considers Special Police Unit Against Drug Importation

AUGUSTA, Maine — A Maine senator wants to create a special police unit to conduct drug trafficking patrols on state roads and state entry points.

Sen. David Burns, a Whiting Republican, says the new unit would include at least three state police officers and a supervising state police officer. Burns is a former state trooper. He says the new unit would make it more difficult for dealers to bring illicit drugs into Maine.

The proposal comes as the state is grappling with an opioid drug crisis. Maine’s Joint Standing Committees on Criminal Justice and Public Safety is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposal on Monday.

Burns says members of the special units would be required to have training and experience in preventing the spread of illegal drugs across state lines.