Drug Ring Bust Takes 2,500 Heroin Packets a Month off NJ Streets

“Operation Justice Served” took five months and broke down a drug ring allegedly responsible for putting an average of 2,500 packets of heroin on New Jersey streets every month. Local law enforcement in Freehold, New Jersey, worked together with federal, state, and county authorities to arrest 42 people over the last month and seize:

• 2,700+ bags of heroin
• 16 ounces of marijuana
• 300 grams of cocaine
• Dozens of prescription pills

Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said: “The joint efforts of these multiple law enforcement agencies involved in Operation Justice Served have accomplished the mission of taking down this local drug trafficking network responsible for bringing drugs into the county and threatening quality of life and the safety of residents. Perhaps most importantly, a drug trafficking network that was moving about 2,500 bags of heroin and 200 grams of cocaine a week is officially out of business as this operation stopped its ability to put dangerous substances into our community.”

Based out of Freehold Borough, the alleged drug ring consisted of many people from Freehold Township but included others from Bayonne, Manalapan Township, Long Branch, and Somerset Township. About 13 people were charged with:

Bail amounts ranged from more than $1 million with a 10 percent option to $65,000 with no 10 percent option. Three more people believed to be associated with drug sales in this group remain at large.

Are Drug Buyers Criminals?

According to Operation Justice Served, they are. In addition to the people who were arrested on suspicion of drug distribution, another 28 people were identified as regular buyers from the drug ring and arrested as well. All were charged with third-degree possession of controlled dangerous substances and third-degree conspiracy to possess controlled dangerous substances. Many were released on their own recognizance, but a number in this group had bail set between $10,000 and $20,000 with no 10 percent option. There is no notation as to why some had no bail and others had high bail amounts, or whether or not any or all would have the option of accessing treatment as opposed to being jailed for allegedly keeping the drug ring in business.

Punishment or Treatment?

Substance use disorders are the only medically recognized disorders that are punished with jail time. Simple possession of the substance of addiction is enough to get someone sent to jail in this country, and it is becoming increasingly clear that this method of handling the problem does nothing to effectively address the situation, nor is it cost-effective. If the goal is to take a buyer off the street in order to keep the drug rings and cartels out of business, the best way to do that is to help someone overcome addiction. Simply putting someone who struggles with addiction in a cell for years with other people who are likely similarly struggling with addiction will only increase their options for continued drug use when they are released, not help them to find a new path in life.

Drug courts, on the other hand, provide the opportunity to undergo treatment rather than spend time in jail. First started in New Jersey in 1996, New Jersey drug courts spread across the state in 2002 and 2004. The hope is that many of the people arrested solely for buying drugs in Operation Justice Served will be able to go through drug courts and connect with treatment services that will help them to not only stop using all substances immediately but also to learn and practice new life skills that promote peace, power, and wellbeing.

Staying out of Court

Investigations like Operation Justice Served unfold in New Jersey all the time. There are a number of such investigations underway right now, and arrests will continue to put people living with addiction in a position to rethink their lives and the best way forward. The best way to avoid ending up in front of a judge and requesting drug court, and dealing with the stress and fines that go with that process, is to simply choose to get help now. Enrolling in treatment can help you to get your life under control on your own terms and begin the process of improving your experience starting right now.

Are you ready to begin your new life in recovery?