In a bust near the ASU campus Thursday morning, Tempe police found $1,500 worth of crack and $1,000 worth of methamphetamines.
The operation involved more than 70 police officers simultaneously raiding four apartments in two complexes - the Asrama Apartments on Lemon Street and the Park Terrace Apartments on Orange Street.
Police dubbed the maneuvers "Lemon Aid" and "Orange Crush."
The raids on the four apartments, which police believe were operated by the same people, produced the arrests of nine men and one woman.
Officers stormed the apartments using flash-bang grenades at about 8:30 a.m., Tempe Sgt. Dan Masters said.
Investigators reportedly found the narcotics, a .45-caliber handgun and approximately $5,000 in cash.
"No one was hurt, no one resisted and they aren't talking to police," Masters said.
SWAT officers also discovered an infant but could not find the parents. Tempe police gave the child to Child Protect Services.
Masters said the child's mother came to the North Tempe Police Station searching for her child later that afternoon.
Detectives reportedly recognized the woman from the investigation and arrested her.
According to Masters, she is being charged with the sale of narcotics, and a report is being submitted to the County Attorney regarding child abuse charges.
He said the raids stemmed from a three-month investigation by the Special Investigation Bureau of the Tempe Police Department.
"It wasn't uncommon [for undercover detectives] to buy drugs in the morning at one complex and buy drugs from the same guy later in the day at the other," Masters said.
The swarm of police officers shocked Rosa Madriga, a grandmother who lives above one of the raided apartments.
"Everything went crazy," Madriga said.
Bin Hao, a computer science graduate student, was stunned when he learned of the drug raids.
"It's kind of scary, living too close to the action," Hao said.
Donna Soto, 24, was glad the police were doing something about the crime in her neighborhood.
"It's good they [Tempe police] come here and do this. There are a lot of kids who live around here," Soto said. "I don't want my kids to see this, to live through this."
Reach the reporter at jeffrey.hoodzow@asu.edu.
