Fighting illegal drug activity in McHenry County oftentimes comes with a bonus for area police agencies that pays for the tools used in future investigations.

The prize comes in the form of state and federal drug forfeiture laws that allow agencies to seize money, property, materials and substances used in producing or transporting drugs. Police generally have turned cars, houses and jewelry into money to fund drug investigation units.

The North Central Narcotics Task Force is no stranger to drug seizures. The multicounty agency – which is run by the Illinois State Police to conduct investigations in McHenry, Kane and DeKalb counties – made a major marijuana bust in 2009 that allowed the agency to seize $480,000 and 2,300 pounds of marijuana and arrest eight people, several of whom were from McHenry County.