Passaic County authorities apprehended two men who allegedly sold heroin throughout New Jersey.
Detectives with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office got a tip about illegal drug activity in Paterson’s third ward. Police then set up surveillance in the area and reportedly saw the suspects place a bag into the trunk of a vehicle.
Passaic County detectives watched the suspects drive away in the car. Not long after that, police officers stopped the suspects’ vehicle and conducted a search.
During the search of the car, law enforcement reportedly discovered 1,450 packets of heroin. The glassine envelopes of heroin are said to have a street value of roughly $7,500.
The suspects, who both hail from Albany, NY, have been charged with multiple drug crimes, including possession of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The suspects are also subject to enhanced penalties because they allegedly distributed heroin within 1,000 feet of school property.
The Passaic County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the suspects, so additional criminal charges could be on the horizon.
If the suspects are convicted on the heroin distribution charges, they would face severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing heroin in a quantity of five ounces or greater is a first degree felony and carries a potential punishment of 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.
After being placed under arrest and processed, the suspects were moved to a Paterson police cell block to await a bail determination.
For more information about this case, access the NJ.com article, “N.Y. Men Allegedly Caught with 1,450 Packets of Heroin in Paterson.”