ELIZABETH, N.J., April 14 - A drug ring believed to have distributed up to 16 kilograms of heroin a week in Union County and beyond was hit by an early-morning police raid that led to the arrest of 20 people on Thursday, Theodore J. Romankow, the Union County prosecutor, announced here.þþCalling the arrests part of ÿthe most significant case this county has ever had,ÿ Mr. Romankow described a ring that delivered unusually pure heroin directly from Colombia to Union, Middlesex and Essex Counties, and the city of Camden in New Jersey, as well as to New York City and Pittsburgh.þþÿThink of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of property crimes or violent offenses against the innocent that have been committed by those who needed money to buy all these doses of heroin,ÿ Mr. Romankow said.þþSuspected of being the ring's kingpin, Alex Cleves, formerly of Elizabeth, is believed to have fled back to Colombia, and is charged with leading a drug trafficking network, which carries a life sentence, and with conspiring to distribute drugs. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.þþChristian Thillet, of Elizabeth, was identified as another central figure in the ring. He and two associates would receive up to six kilograms of heroin a day, at a cost of $56,000 to $58,000 per kilogram, Mr. Romankow said, and they would then sell it to middlemen who would dilute and resell it for up to $600,000 per kilogram.þþMr. Thillet was charged with leading a drug trafficking network, employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme and other offenses. His bail was set at $2 million.þþAll the other suspects were charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs, which carries a sentence of 5 to 20 years in prison. One suspect, Marc Inman, of Hillside, is believed to have supplied heroin to three housing projects in Newark. The police said that another suspect, Manuel Perez of Elizabeth, was a high school senior, and that a third, Nidia Roldan, of Union, Mr. Cleves's mother, was believed to be responsible for laundering money for the ring. Officers found $300,000 in cash in her house in Union.þþThe investigation, which involved 220 officers from local, county, state and federal agencies, grew out of a low-level narcotics arrest made four years ago by Justin Marranca, a detective with the Kenilworth police, who worked with his street sources to determine the origin of the drugs. ÿIt was a matter of cooperation, and getting people to cooperate with you,ÿ Detective Marranca said.þþOfficers executed 22 search warrants in Elizabeth, Linden, Hillside, Union, Newark and Irvington, and seized more than five kilograms of heroin and cocaine, $400,000, 7 guns, 16 vehicles, hollow-nose bullets and a motorcycle.þþÿThere will be a lot of people who won't have their drugs tomorrow,ÿ Mr. Romankow said. þþþþ
Source: NY Times
