POLICE SEIZE TEN (10) KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN IN GLOUCESTER COUNTY
Press Release from Gloucester County Prosecutors Office PIO Tom Gilbert (12/14)
On September 12th a collaborative effort by law enforcement officers from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office – Gangs, Guns, and Narcotics Task Force (GGNTF), and the Logan Township Police Department, seized a total of ten (10) kilograms of suspected Heroin in Logan Township, New Jersey. This was a historical and significant seizure of Heroin in Gloucester County, which has been hard hit by over 130 fatal overdoses in 2018.
The Heroin was discovered and seized subsequent to a motor vehicle stop of a tractor-trailer on I-295 by the Logan Township Police Department. A narcotics detection K-9 gave a positive indication for the presence of narcotics within the cab of the tractor-trailer. Officers located the ten (10) kilograms of Heroin in a hidden compartment within the cab. The kilograms were individually packaged and stamped with unique markings. The operator of the tractor-trailer, Jose Meza, age 50, a resident of California, was arrested and charged accordingly with narcotics offenses, to include: Possession w/Intent to Distribute 1st Degree and Possession of CDS 3rd Degree.
Prosecutor Charles “Chuck” Fiore stated, “This seizure represents a major impact on illegal drug distribution activities in our region. Had this heroin reached the streets, it would have likely been mixed with Fentanyl, a deadly opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than Morphine. In street-level quantity and price, this amount of heroin would have potentially generated 200,000 – 300,000 individual doses or wax folds being sold for $10-to $15 each to those caught up in the tragic cycle of addiction. While we work diligently to extend a helping hand to those in need of assistance and help with their addiction, we will be steadfast in our allied efforts to identify, apprehend and prosecute those who, for the sake of profit, willingly turn a blind eye to the deadly consequences of pushing these drugs into the community. While the defendant may have sought a quick profit from transporting these drugs, the costs to our friends, neighbors and loved ones are immense and our efforts to disrupt these illegal distribution activities will not cease. I commend the GCPO personnel involved, as well as the Logan Township Police Department under the leadership of Chief Robert Leash, for their diligence and service to the community.”