Newark police recently arrested three people who allegedly had illegal drugs and a loaded gun inside an apartment.
The Newark Police Department received a report of drug activity on the 50s block of 11th Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. When detectives with the Newark Police Emergency Response Team arrived in the area, they saw two men who appeared to be conducting a drug deal.
One of the men allegedly began to run when he saw the police officers.
Police chased the suspect inside an apartment building and followed him into a first-floor apartment, where they encountered two more suspects.
A subsequent search of the residence reportedly turned up 31 envelopes of heroin, four grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded 9-mm handgun.
Police placed the three suspects under arrest at the scene.
The suspects, who all live in Newark, are around 50 years of age. They have been charged with a number of criminal offenses, including possession of heroin, possession of cocaine, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
If the suspects are ultimately convicted on the most serious charges of heroin possession, they would be subject to severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, possession of even a trace amount of heroin is classified as a third degree felony and carries a potential sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.
After the arrests were made the Newark police director issued a statement commending the officers involved and praising them for keeping drugs and guns off city streets.
To learn more about this case, go to the NJ.com article entitled “3 Arrested on Weapons, Drug Charges in Newark.”
