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The bust comes on the heels of a seven-month investigation that was started after a member of the department's Narcotics and Organized Crime Squad, Officer Will Garay, heard word on the street that large amounts of cocaine, heroin, and Fentanyl were being moved through the area by local residents, said Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin.
After months of investigating, Garay had developed enough information to bring in the DEA to help bring in the players involved, Conklin said.
"I can't say enough about how important this seizure is and the wonderful job done by Officer Garay in getting it off the ground," he said.
The team was still investigating the group, which included Samuel Melo Cruz, 44, Luis Miguel “Cano” Rosario Peralta, 28, and Jhonaury “La Zebra” Matos, 26, all of Stamford, when they received word that a large shipment of Fentanyl was about to be delivered in Yonkers and distributed in the area on July 5, Conklin said.
"It can be underestimated the importance this seizure has on the lives of many people and families in Stamford and the tri-state area," Conklin said.
At the same time that officers were taking down the drug traffickers in Yonkers, seven search-and-seizure warrants were also executed by members of the team which yielded another four kilos of the drug, he added.
Conklin, who said the wholesale value of the seven kilos of Fentanyl was worth about $315,000, said it only takes three milligrams of Fentanyl to overdose.
In addition to the Fentanyl, police also seized a large amount of cash, an illegal AR-15 assault rifle, a pistol stolen out of Bridgeport, three vehicles, including a BMW and a Mercedes Benz, Conklin said.
"This was a really professional investigation that took a lot of time and resources, but paid off in the end by saving the lives of residents across the area," he said.
All three men are being held and face federal drug trafficking charges.
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