The first occurred Monday afternoon, when Officer Robert Fernandez of the Uniformed Enforcement Squad (UES) stopped a Toyota Camry in front of the Kohls department store on northbound Route 23 for having no brake lights, Capt. Laurence Martin said.
The license plates were registered to a 2007 white Ford Focus, he said.
The driver, Steven C. Scalici of Warwick, N.Y., "could not provide any vehicle registration paperwork for the Toyota or why the plates were supposed to be on a Ford," Martin said.
Scalici "had a white substance around his left nostril," the captain said, adding that the officer found a white glassine bag stamped “RECESSION” in the front of the car.
A search turned up 96 more bags with the same stamp, he said.
Scalici was arrested and later released on a court summonses charging him with various drug counts, as well as with having fictitious license plates.
A day later, Officers Skylar Cauceglia and Robert Fernandez stopped a tailgating black Saab on the northbound highway near the Pequannock border, Martin said.
While talking with driver Kevin McGrogan of Sussex, they noticed the floor of the car "littered" with drug paraphernalia, including an uncapped hypodermic needle and seven capped needles, the captain said.
A search turned up 10 glassine bags of heroin stamped “LOYALITY,” as well as several torn, used bags, Martin said. Another full bag stamped "ABC NEWS" was found, as well, he said.
McGrogan was released on court summonses charging him with drug offenses, as well as one for tailgating.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Paterson and receive free news updates.