HANNIBAL, MO -- The following is a news release from the Hannibal Police Department:

Officers of the Hannibal Police Department arrest seven individuals on an assortment of drug related charges after an off-duty officer observes suspicious activity near a residence in the 700 block of Center Street early Sunday morning. At 6:23 a.m. an off-duty officer observed suspicious activity at a residence in the 700 block of Center and requested additional officers to investigate. Officers arriving on the scene contacted one man outside while several subjects remained inside the residence. During the investigation officers were granted consent to search the residence where they located numerous items of drug paraphernalia, controlled substances believed to be methamphetamine and marijuana. Officers also located a sawed off shot gun in a vehicle parked at the residence as well as items and equipment commonly used in the production of methamphetamine in the garage. Officers arrested the following suspects:

All suspects were transported to the Hannibal Police Department and later transferred to the Marion County Jail and placed on a 24 hour hold on their respective charges. This is the second large multiple felony drug arrests within a block of each other in a little over a month by the Hannibal Police Department. "Even though they may not be actively patrolling or investigation a case at the moment the officers keep a watchful eye on areas of concern even off-duty and this is a perfect example of just that. After you've done the job (law enforcement) for a while you just don't shut everything down when you are off-duty", states Chief Lyndell Davis. Due to the presence of juvenile children in the residence officers contacted the Child Abuse and Neglect Center to initiate and investigation by the Marion County Division of Children Services.