BERKS COUNTY, Pa. — Twenty-seven people were charged with operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization across Pennsylvania, according to Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams and Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.
The 27 individuals were arrested Thursday, Dec. 1 in an early-morning round-up.
The defendants were charged with committing offenses involving violations of the Pa. Crimes Code and the Pa. Controlled Substances Act, delivery of controlled substances which included bulk amounts of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, corrupt organization and criminal use of a communication facility.
According to the Berks County District Attorney's Office, in July of 2022, detectives from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office identified a drug dealer operating in Norristown who was distributing cocaine.
Detectives reportedly learned that the Norristown drug dealer was being supplied with bulk quantities of the illegal drug by an organization with ties to Reading.
Based on that information, Montgomery County Detectives teamed up with Berks County Detectives, who jointly initiated an investigation to identify the organization and the source of the supply.
During this investigation phase, it became apparent to investigators that this organization may be tied to a United States Postal Service (USPS) case where they were investigating packages of cocaine and fentanyl being shipped via USPS priority express mail, originating in Mexico and destined to Reading.
Because of the scope of the investigation, detectives from Berks, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties teamed up with the City of Reading Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Service Inspectors, United States Homeland Security Investigations and the Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA.
Throughout the investigation, two undercover officers infiltrated the organization and purchased bulk quantities of cocaine and fentanyl.
Additionally, multiple packages destined for homes in Reading were interdicted and seized by USPS Inspectors. The packages were seized and numerous kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl were discovered and seized.
On Nov. 3 and 4, search warrants were obtained and served at multiple locations, including Reading, Norristown and Lancaster.
As a result of this investigation, the following summary of items of evidence was recovered and seized:
• Twenty-seven and half (27.5) kilograms of cocaine were seized (bulk value $770,000.00 / potential street value of $2.7 million)
• Five and half (5.5) kilograms of fentanyl were seized (bulk value $203,500.00 / potential street value of $1.6 million)
• Four (4) hydraulic floor jacks, steel plates, steel H frame for the pressing of kilos of cocaine and heroin/fentanyl
• Six (6) handguns
• Four (4) “Drum Style” gun magazines
• Over one hundred-twenty (120) rounds of ammunition
• Over $60,000.00 U.S. currency believed to be the proceeds of the sales of controlled substances
• Forty (40) cellular phones
• Assorted packaging material, processing equipment, and a large amount of cutting agents all related to the packaging and processing of heroin and cocaine.
The arrested individuals were transported to the Sheriff’s Central Processing Unit and are awaiting arraignment. At the time of this article, seventeen of the twenty-seven suspects have been taken into custody.
Those who have their names in black are still at large.
