"We've just been getting a lot of drug activity, a lot of tips; information on things going on," said Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase.

Those calls spurred a month-long effort to get more drugs, and those who sell them, off the street. From the end of September to the start of November, it led to the arrests of nine people. Some are from neighboring counties, whose sheriff's departments worked with Degase and his deputies.

Christopher Englehardt, 27, and Sonya McGowan, 28, of Mansfield are accused of manufacturing meth inside an apartment complex in Mansfield. Deputies say Jason Miller, 34, had methamphetamine in syringes in his home in Mountain View. Joshua Abernathy, 33, of Seymour faces possession of meth with the intent to distribute.

"In essence, we were getting them after the fact," said Degase. "They were going and doing the cook, and then we were getting them as they distributed the methamphetamine."

That wasn't the only drug that deputies picked up. Shane Potts, 18, of Ava has two citations for having drug paraphernalia and possession of pot. Detectives say they also found pot in the car of Matthew Gerikie, 22, of Ava. At the home of Michael Milianti, 46, it was three for two. He and Margo Cypret, 40, both of Ava, are charged with growing marijuana. Deputies also found Edward Greene, 44, of Ava inside Milianti's home. He is wanted for felony grand theft in Florida.

The sheriff admits the arrests are a dent in a larger problem but it's one that his department will keep battling.

"I'd love to have 10 guys, 10 more guys, to really work this like it needs to be worked, but we're just following up on leads, and trying to get done what we can with who we got," said the sheriff.

Degase says the surveillance continues. He asks anyone to contact the sheriff's department at (417) 683-1020 to report anything suspicious.