The largest drug bust in Grand Traverse County history played out in a sweep of arrests Wednesday morning in metro Detroit and Traverse City.

Police arrested four people in Detroit and five in Traverse City following an investigation by the Traverse Narcotics Team, Grand Traverse Sheriff, Traverse City Police, state police and downstate agencies into a drug pipeline that brought narcotics from downstate to northern Michigan.

Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Bob Cooney calls the case the “largest and most complex drug investigation of its kind in Grand Traverse County.”

Arrests around Traverse City began at 5am, Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Capt. Christopher Clark says. Two men and one woman were arrested at locations around East Bay and Garfield townships. Warrants were issued for two more suspects who were already in jail on other charges. At the same time, police downstate made arrests in early-morning raids.

The case was dubbed “Operation Sweetie” after the street name of the 34-year-old Harper Woods resident who is accused of being at the center of the heroin and cocaine operation.

Charese Louise Arnold faces up to life in prison on a charge of conspiracy to deliver over 1,000 grams of heroin or cocaine. Cooney says he hopes the arrests will staunch the flow of narcotics to northern Michigan.

There have been seven heroin overdoses in Traverse City in recent weeks. One person died and officials are awaiting autopsy results in a second death. In three cases, deputies carrying opiate overdose reversal kits revived overdose victims. Investigators have not linked the heroin involved in those overdoses to Wednesday’s busts.

The investigation has gone on for over a year; the charges pertain to alleged drug dealing stemming back to 2010.

The Traverse City suspects are: Mitchell Edward Anderson, 39, Amber Elizabeth Clous, 30, William Lawrence Cox, 43, Ashley Lynn Hendershott, 32, and Taylor Marie Swayze, 23, face charges of conducting a criminal enterprise and delivery of a controlled substance less than 50 grams. Each charge carries 20 years in prison.

The Detroit-area suspects are: Charese Louise Arnold faces up to life in prison on 13 counts, including charges of delivery of over 1,000 grams and conducting a criminal enterprise. She is charged as a four-time habitual offender. Avontae Cortez Bullock, 24, Erika Briana Travis, 23, and Kamon Zavier-Travon Arnold, 22, face conducting a criminal enterprise and delivery under 50 grams charges. Bullock is charged as a three-time habitual offender.

Pictured: Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Bob Cooney addresses the media Wednesday on the historic drug bust.