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State police seize 128,500 bags of heroin, 5,700 fentanyl pills at Paterson drug mill | Paterson Times

State police seize 128,500 bags of heroin, 5,700 fentanyl pills at Paterson drug mill

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The New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit dismantled a drug production facility in Paterson, seizing 128,500 packets of heroin, nearly 5,700 fentanyl-based pills, and more than six pounds of raw heroin-fentanyl mix last week.

Seven men were arrested in the bust at a residence on West Railway Avenue, authorities said on October 2.

Javier Castro, 28, Leonel Creque, 31, Julio Vargas 37, Pedro Cortez, 48, all of Paterson; Adrian Rodriguez, 26, of Woodland Park; and Walter Gutierrez, 28, of Clifton, face numerous drug charges for allegedly operating the drug mill.

Kasine Forsey, 26, of Paterson, was charged with drug possession, distribution, and conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Authorities said drugs seized in the bust is valued at $580,500. Detectives seized 3 kilograms of raw heroin and fentanyl mix, 128,500 individual doses of heroin in 2,570 bricks, 5,693 fentanyl-based pills, 207 grams of cocaine, 3 pounds of marijuana, hundreds of marijuana cigarates, edibles, and cartridges, and drug packaging and branding materials.

Detectives also seized a .45 caliber handgun with a high capacity magazine reported stolen out of Georgia, $29,000 cash, and 3 vehicles.

Authorities said the branding stamps seized – like “Supreme,” “Star Wars,” and “Street Fighter” — from the bust were linked to 19 fatal overdoses and 30 nonfatal overdoses from January to September.

“By dismantling this mill, we cost this trafficking ring nearly $600,000 in profits, but more importantly, we prevented known deadly brands of drugs from being sold throughout our communities, undoubtedly saving countless lives,” Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said.

paterson-west-railway-heroin-mill-overdosesDetectives seized 38 different stamps in the bust.

“Paterson is a major opioid distribution center for the region, and the evidence seized indicates that we shut down a large supply operation,” Veronica Allende, director of the Division of Criminal Justice, said.

Investigation into the drug mill began on September 29. Detectives from the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit, as a part of the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force, were investigating drug activity in Paterson. They determined an opioid mill was being run out of a residence on West Railway Avenue.

Castro was observed exiting the residence with a plastic bag and leaving in a Dodge Charger. He traveled to Courtland Street and met with Forsey.

Forsey entered the Dodge and exited with a bag. He left in a Honda Accord. Subsequently, Forsey was pulled over and found with 115 bricks or 5,750 doses of heroin inside the plastic bag.

Detectives observed several alleged drug sales near the residence and conducted motor vehicle stops. They later obtained warrants to search the residence and Castro’s car.

“By implementing a strategy that focuses on major suppliers of these deadly opioids, the task force maximizes its impact in protecting our communities and those struggling with addiction, and ensures that those who profit by selling these agents of misery and death are brought to justice,” New Jersey attorney general Gurbir S. Grewal said.

  • HankMorgan

    There are, like, two houses on West Railway.

  • John Brown

    Good job. But still a drop in the bucket

    • Dingo jones

      So right a drop in the bucket Motha f@&k it. These guys they arrested are worker bee's (crash test dummies) it won't make not one bit of difference. There are only 2 ways to really stop drugs. The first is to end the demand for them, how you do that I don't know maybe legalize them, alcohol is no different think about it. The other way is to stop the drugs from coming in to the country, search every package every cargo ship, plane coming in because this isn't the 1970s do you know how many tons of heroin and cocaine come in to our county daily to satisfy America's ravenous apetite for drugs, believe me a person bringing in 2 or 3 kilos on his person won't satisfy America's hunger. Yea the cartel throws us a bone and we arrest some dummy with a few pounds of whatever meanwhile there is a super cargo ship coming in with 20 trailers full of heroin and 45 trailers full of cocaine each carrying 75000 metric tons of pure death. Meanwhile the rich get richer and the poor get dead. Believe me I don't know no one in paterson that owns a super tanker or a cargo ship or any cargo planes. Do you ?????

      • http://www.facebook.com/animalabusewar Animal Abuse War

        I agree, but no legalizing. We don't need alerted people driving, working. But I post the same about inspecting every single thing that comes into the country. We pay billions for homelands security. Yet how safe are we if they can't even keep mountain high piles of drugs getting in??? Inspect every single thing as long as it takes. Too bad if people have to wait for their freaking Amazon package. The drug problem is much more important here than online orders.

        • Dingo jones

          Your right about us as society not needing impaired people driving and doing certain jobs under the influence, we have to many as it is. But if America can spend 600 trillion dollars over 19 years for a war in Afghanistan well you're right we can spend whatever it costs to inspect everything that comes into our country. But the truth of the matter is the powers that be don't want to stop it because I'm sure you know because you sound intelligent, drugs is big business in so many ways. Imagine with no drug problem in the United States what would all those cops, judges, lawyers, prison guards and so many more occupations do. We would literally have to close 80% of prisons in the US. No they powers that be get rich off our misery because I live in Paterson and I see that misery every day

  • http://www.facebook.com/animalabusewar Animal Abuse War

    Any dealer/ whatever they are called mixing fentanyl into the heroin must be mandatory charged with attempted murder because that's what they are doing to the addicts using the drugs. Where are our lawmakers?

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