STEPHENS COUNTY, Ga. - A sweeping, yearlong investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization has led to the arrest of 20 people in Stephens County and surrounding areas, authorities announced this week.

What we know:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said the Metro Gang Task Force and Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, working with the FBI and multiple local agencies, executed six search warrants and 20 arrest warrants in a large-scale operation. Officials said the group, directed by 48-year-old Manathan Colbert of Toccoa, trafficked cocaine, crack cocaine, pills, and marijuana across Stephens, Habersham, and Rabun counties.

The operation involved a coalition of law enforcement, including the FBI North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force, FBI Safe Streets T

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