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State agents bust Maxton dog-fighting operation

Agents with the state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement arrested 27 people Saturday in connection with a dog-fighting ring in Robeson County, authorities said Monday.

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MAXTON, N.C. — Agents with the state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement arrested 27 people Saturday in connection with a dog-fighting ring in Robeson County, authorities said Monday.

State and federal agents searched a home at 3541 McLeod Drive in Maxton and seized tens of thousands of dollars in cash, multiple handguns, various controlled substances, veterinary drugs and dog-fighting paraphernalia, authorities said.

Eighteen dogs also were seized, including several that had serious wounds and scars from previous injuries. The dogs were treated on the scene by veterinarians from North Carolina and the Atlanta Humane Society.

More than two dozen people tried to flee the area, but authorities apprehended them with the assistance of a North Carolina Air National Guard helicopter. The people face charges of dog fighting, animal cruelty, animal neglect, being a spectator at a dog fight, as well as weapons and drug possession offenses.

The event drew people from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Ohio.

Other agencies participating in the arrests included the state Department of Public Safety, the State Highway Patrol, the state Wildlife Resources Commission; the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, and Norred & Associates, an Atlanta-based private security company.

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