New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Bronx DA Robert Johnson today announced that officers from the Department's Bronx Gang Squad arrested 28 Bloods gang members operating a narcotics ring in and around the Diego-Beekman Housing Complex. The entire hierarchy of the drug operation was taken down as a result of these arrests. In addition to selling narcotics, these individuals are believed to have utilized violence as part of their drug dealing.

The Bronx Gang Squad began investigating this group in November 2004. Dwayne Thompson, aka "Dime," was identified as the group's leader and eventually the entire structure of the organization was revealed. The arrests include the leader, Thompson, as well as his two managers, two drug suppliers and a host of lower level dealers. The gang is also suspected of involvement in a shooting on December 27, 2003 and a stabbing on January 17, 2005.

Commissioner Kelly said: "Our officers conducted a painstaking investigation. Thanks to their thoroughness over the past year, the entire operation * from the boss to street dealers * was removed in one day. Congratulations to the members of the Gang Division for their terrific work."

Mr. Johnson said: "These arrests are the result of an attempt to fill the void created by prior investigations that shut down drug dealing operations at Diego-Beekman twice in the last ten years. We hope that these charges against yet another new crop of alleged 'drug dealing wannabes' sends a reassuring message to the community that we in law enforcement will be back again and again, if necessary."

The investigation focused on a particular faction of the Blood gang who were known as "Treyside." Their name derived from the fact that a majority of their drug sales occurred on the 300 block of Beekman Place. The gang members branded their crew with customized football jerseys, belt buckles and displays on their cell phone screens.

Over the past year, detectives made numerous undercover narcotics buys. Electronic and physical surveillance also played a significant role in this investigation.

Officers seized an estimated $10,700 in cash and various amounts of crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana. Two loaded handguns * a .40 caliber and a 9mm * and 29 cell phones were also recovered. This crew generated approximately $800,000 a year and sold heroin with names such as Funny Money, Avalanche and G-Unit.