Crime & Safety

38 Morris County Residents Busted in 8-Week Heroin Sting

More than 300 users and dealers arrested in multi-county operation, prosecutor announces.

Thirty-eight Morris County residents were arrested during an eight-week long heroin task force initiative that encompassed three counties and centered around Paterson, New Jersey, Acting Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp announced Tuesday.

The law enforcement initiative began on April 7 and concluded on May 30, resulting in the total arrest of 325 people. Of those, 280 were users, while more than 40 were dealers, Knapp said.

Officials seized 30 guns and more than $25,000 in cash, along with 1,200 grams of raw heroin, which equals more than 60,000 bags on the street, Knapp said. Another 12,000 bags were seized from users, and the heroin had a total street value of $350,000.

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Prosecutor’s offices from Morris, Bergen and Passaic counties joined forces to conduct the operation, which centered around Paterson which, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, supplies the most pure and potent heroin in the United States, Knapp said.

“Recognizing that heroin use and addiction affects all of our jurisdictions in terms of drug related deaths, burglaries and violent crimes, police departments throughout Morris County supplied manpower to the initiative, and by combining manpower and resources, a demonstrable impact was achieved in which each participating department was a proud partner,” Knapp said in a statement.

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Officers from Jefferson, Morris Township, Butler, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Pequannock, Mt. Olive, Roxbury, Morris County Park Police, Boonton, Montville and Riverdale all assisted in the task force.

The list of all 325 arrests is attached to this article. 


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