PORTLAND (AP) – Drug agents in southern Maine are seeing a surge in telephone tips following recent high-profile drug busts that were aided by citizen complaints.

Det. Scott Durst of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency’s task force for Cumberland and York counties said his agency welcomes information about suspected drug dealing. But he cautioned residents that they can’t expect to see immediate results.

“They call one day and expect us to be kicking doors in and arresting people the next,” Durst said. “Because somebody is calling doesn’t mean something is going to happen right away.”

In a drug raid in Portland last month, police seized $1.5 million worth of cocaine and arrested a suspect wanted for two gang-related murders in Boston last summer.

Information from residents helped police develop information in the case, but busting up a drug ring takes more than knowing it’s there, said Lt. Vern Malloch, head of Portland’s criminal investigations division.

“If we suspect a large volume dealer, we’re not going to do a knock and talk’ that tips our hand,” Malloch said. “It’s really all about gathering as much information as you can before you make that initial contact.”

Detectives will check information against their database to determine whether a particular address or resident has a drug history and whether there have been other complaints.

“They may begin to conduct surveillance of the address to verify what neighbors are telling us,” Malloch said. “It’s really a judgment call on the supervisor’s part whether to assign resources and officers.”

The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency is already underfunded and is facing additional cuts come July, said MDEA Director Roy McKinney. The situation, he said, leaves the agency with too few detectives to meet the public’s desire for swift justice.

A group of residents in Hancock County “couldn’t quite understand why one simple call didn’t eliminate” a drug dealer from their neighborhood, he said.

“Most of the drug dealing is behind closed doors, out of sight, where people have an expectation of privacy,” McKinney said. said. “We have certain legal barriers to meet in respecting the Constitution and the rules of evidence and the collection of evidence.”