3 years ago
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State police say approximately 70 people have been arrested in a raid on a cockfighting arena near Cedarville in Crawford County, north of Van Buren. The raid was one of three -- two in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma -- carried out yesterday by a task force combining federal, state and local forces.
A news release from Arkansas State Police said the raids stemmed from a lengthy investigation into allegations of illegal cock fighting and gambling.
As of eight-30 last night, officers were still at the site near Cedarville that was raided about noon. A later news release said approximately 70 felony arrests were made during the afternoon and evening.
Police said the Cedarville location consists of residential structures as well as a large out-building equipped with fighting pits and is designed to accommodate spectators. State police spokesman Bill Sadler said U-S Department of Agriculture authorities were kept busy euthanizing a large number of fighting cocks seized during the raid.
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