Drugs found in ceiling of Ohio building, investigation underway

OHIO — Police in Youngstown are investigating after several packages of drugs were discovered Wednesday in the ceiling of a downtown building on East Federal Street.

Authorities said they were called around 1:35 p.m. after a maintenance worker changing air filters in the mezzanine noticed several cellophane-wrapped packages in the ceiling. The maintenance worker and another person opened one package and saw what appeared to be drugs, prompting them to call police.

Officers said the package contained a “white, pressed, crystal-like substance.” A field test initially came back negative, but a police dog trained to detect drugs alerted officers to the package. This led them to a hallway on the first floor, where, after removing a ceiling tile, they found six more similar packages.

All packages were taken to the Vice Squad offices for testing, which confirmed they contained amphetamines. Building personnel told police that no one had accessed the mezzanine where the first package was found for at least two months.

The investigation is ongoing.