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SALT LAKE CITY -- Eleven people were arrested Friday night by Salt Lake City police at a rave at the Salt Palace Convention Center for investigation of drugs.
It's the second time in two months that officers have made multiple drug-related arrests at a rave party hosted at the Salt Palace.
Prompted by calls from concerned parents, Sgt. Shawn Josephson said the Vice Squad and the Narcotics Unit worked undercover at the "Mardi Gras" event at the convention center. Approximately 5,000 people attended the dance party.
Ten felony drug arrests and one misdemeanor arrest were made, he said. In addition, 130 tablets of Ecstasy, nine grams of marijuana and some psychedelic mushrooms were seized.
"There were definitely some people going there for something other than clean fun," Josephson said.
Emergency crews responded to other problems around the Salt Palace Friday night including 11 juveniles with tobacco violations, five people cited for public intoxication and a three people treated for overdoses.
In December, the Salt Palace hosted a "Naughty or Nice" theme party that Josephson said police considered a rave just like the event over the weekend, even if organizers tried to say otherwise.
Four people were arrested in that incident and 85 Ecstasy pills and small amounts of cocaine and marijuana were seized, according to investigators.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com
