BIDDEFORD — No illegal drugs were found at Biddeford High School or the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology during a drug sweep on Thursday conducted by the Biddeford Police Department and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Maine State Police K-9 Unit and school administrators.

The drug sweep of BHS and BRCOT began at 9 a.m., according to the BPD Facebook page.

Students were in classrooms with window shades drawn, unaware that dogs in the K-9 Unit were sniffing hallway lockers on the three floors of the high school. Gym lockers were not included in the sweep. Dogs were also used in the parking lots, checking both staff and student vehicles.

“No illegal drugs were found in any of the areas searched,” according to a post about the sweep on the BPD Facebook page.

The drug sweep was a result of talks that began several months ago between Police Chief Roger Beaupre and Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray, according to the post. Its purpose was to “assure the safety of our kids, and at the same time, send a message to the student body that illegal drugs have no place in Biddeford’s schools,” officials wrote.

During the past year, from Jan. 1 to Oct. 14, there have been 25 cases of heroin overdoses in Biddeford, including four deaths attributed to heroin.

“Although none of these cases involved students of the Biddeford school system, we want to make every effort to keep illegal drugs out of our schools and away from our kids,” the post stated.

Officials said these unannounced drug sweeps will continue throughout the year.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.