Major Fentanyl Bust in the Bronx: Authorities Seize $4 Million Worth of Drugs

Article By Taniya Gisel, Board Member / Writer at BLOCK WORK MEDIA GROUP 

In yet another significant blow to the illicit drug trade, law enforcement agencies in New York have successfully conducted a major fentanyl takedown in the Bronx. Nearly 400,000 packets of suspected fentanyl and heroin, estimated to be worth about $4 million on the street, were seized during a raid on a Grand Concourse apartment near 169th Street. The operation, which took place on Wednesday, involved a task force comprised of personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the New York Police Department (NYPD), and the New York State Police. 

The suspects, totaling eleven individuals, now face charges including criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminally using drug paraphernalia. They are set to appear in court on Monday. Authorities had the location under surveillance for a month leading up to the raid, underscoring the meticulous planning that went into dismantling this drug trafficking operation.

During the raid, four of the suspects were discovered hiding underneath solar panels on the roof, emphasizing the lengths to which they went to evade law enforcement. The authorities uncovered a disturbing array of evidence, including bags of cutting agents, a box filled with coffee grinders containing a white powdery substance, multiple scales, and stamps used for branding.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan expressed concerns about the potential dangers posed by a fentanyl/heroin packaging mill operating in a residential building. She highlighted the risk to innocent residents, emphasizing that exposure to lethal drugs and compromised security are serious threats when such operations occur in close proximity to community dwellings.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino commended the success of the operation, stating, "Eleven members of a fentanyl/heroin trafficking ring were arrested as they fled the scene of a crime. They all ran from an active fentanyl mill filled with hundreds of thousands of deadly doses, but they couldn't hide, not even under solar panels on the roof."

NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban underscored the importance of systematically targeting heroin and fentanyl supply sources to fulfill the mission of saving lives. He stated, "Dismantling this operation and preventing these deadly drugs from reaching the streets and neighborhoods of New York is our latest success in advancing that mission."

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark echoed the ongoing challenges faced by the community, saying, "Fentanyl and heroin continue to flood the Bronx, as evidenced by the large supply found in an apartment, packaged and ready to be sold to thousands of drug users." The successful raid represents a collaborative effort by law enforcement to address the persistent threat of dangerous opioids in the region.

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DATA SOURCE: Large-scale fentanyl packaging operation busted in the Bronx, authorities say - CBS New York (cbsnews.com)