80°
Authorities seized $333,000 that Manuel Olivares-Kunnardt, 30, of Hackensack and 29-year-old Esmelby Estevez-Castillo of Haledon were counting when detectives raided the Avalon Hackensack at Riverside Apartments next to Riverside Square Mall Thursday afternoon, Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli said.
They also found a “complex, fully functional heroin production facility” at a minimally furnished single-level home at 735 Closter Dock Road that had windows covered by sheets, cardboard and “dark material,” he said.
Molinelli said detectives believe the two men produced thousands of heroin bricks there of 50 bags each “on a continuous basis” that was distributed to street-level dealers.
“Each of the rooms contained boxes packed with thousands of wax paper folds commonly used to package heroin,” the prosecutor said. “Detectives also recovered numerous ink stamps, rubber bands, tables, lights, scales, grinders, and protective suits.”
Closet shelves were labeled with the heroin stamp or brand name stored on it, Molinelli said.
A small amount of raw heroin was recovered, as well, he said.
Detectives believe the men “intentionally chose the suburban environment of Closter, New Jersey so their [h]eroin mill would be free from the dangers associated with urban drug dealing,” Molinelli added.
The Hackensack apartment, meanwhile, had three pieces of furniture rigged with hydraulic secret compartments where they were stashing the cash when they were arrested, the prosecutor said.
They also had bogus documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates, in the name of “Robert Pena,” he said.
Olivares-Kunnardt was ordered held on $350,000 bail and Estevez-Castillo on $300,000 bail. Both are charged with maintaining a drug facility, money laundering and trafficking in fraudulent documents.
Molinelli said his Narcotic Task Force was augmented by Closter, Hackensack and Haledon police, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Identification and Pennsylvania State Police.
“The investigation of this large-scale drug network is ongoing and additional arrests are anticipated,” he said.
Heroin overdoses have killed 48 people in Bergen County so far this year, the prosecutor noted.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hackensack and receive free news updates.
