The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency made 82 arrests last weekend, mostly in Washington County. While none of the arrests were in Windham, Police Chief Rick Lewsen told the town council Tuesday that the drug problem in Windham is a lot bigger than most people think.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agent and Windham Police Officer Ernie MacVane said the most popular drugs in Windham are marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroine and prescription drugs.

MacVane said Windham marijuana users can get supplies that are grown locally, but that it mostly comes from Portland or Lewiston.

Harder drugs brought into the country, he said, arrive in New York and are then trafficked to Massachusetts in Boston, Lowell or Lawrence. Maine drug dealers travel to these Massachusetts cities and bring them home, or arrange to have them transported here.

MacVane said the illegal drug industry is huge, with thousands of agents in the supply line. He said they use intelligence-collecting tactics to try to keep ahead of police operations and use threats and violence to stay in business.

“My life has been threatened on a number of occasions,” he said.

A drug bust is very expensive, MacVane said. Police need to purchase drugs from the dealer multiple times and police need to watch the suspects around the clock to know the most when incriminating evidence is present so they can strike.

“When we make our hit, we want it to be a home run,” he said.

While Windham is a “consumer town” where drugs are bought, instead of a “supply town,” where they come from, MacVane said guns bought or stolen in Windham make their way to the Massachusetts black market. MacVane said guns are plentiful in Maine, and the laws make purchasing them here easier than in other states.

Lewsen said a 16-year-old in Windham caught smoking cigarettes can be arrested, but if the kid is caught with a small amount of marijuana then it’s considered a juvenile infraction and first-time offenders are sentenced to write a short essay.

“It’s frustrating,” Lewsen said.

Drugs1: Town Councilor David Tobin handles an ounce of marijuanna at Tuesday’s meeting. Windham Police Officer Ernie MacVane said the drug sample was donated by a Windham resident.Drugs2: Town Councilor Liz Wisecup handles an ounce of marijuanna at Tuesday’s meeting during a police presentation. “It looks like dried broccoli,” said Wisecup.Drugs3-4: Windham Police Officer Ernie MacVane displays an AK-47 assault rifle at Tuesday’s town council meeting. The weapon was seized during a drug raid in Windham. He asked that his face not be shown.Drugs3-4: Windham Police Officer Ernie MacVane displays an AK-47 assault rifle at Tuesday’s town council meeting. The weapon was seized during a drug raid in Windham. He asked that his face not be shown.