Large arrest puts dent in Delaware heroin market
Heroin continues to plague Delaware, taking 180 lives through drug overdoses in 2015 and driving crime rates in all three counties.
Last year, emergency responders in Delaware administered the anti-overdose drug Narcan more than 1,000 times, according to Drug Enforcement Administration figures, numbers that continue to rise.
On Wednesday, federal officials announced what they're calling the largest seizure of prepackaged heroin in state history, pulling more than 48,000 bags of heroin – worth $488,000 on the streets – off the market in New Castle County. Yet it's only a piece of the drug problem in Delaware.
U.S. Attorney Charles Oberly, along with DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Tuggle, announced the charges against five Bear and Newark-area men at a press conference, crediting the work of the New Castle County, Delaware High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area collaboration. County, Wilmington and Newark police aided in the 2½-monthlong investigation.
"Folks will undoubtedly live now that would have gotten a hold of this crap and probably would have died," Tuggle said.
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Proving how big a job law enforcement has in containing the drug problem, one of five men charged in the large raid, Daniel Haye, also was charged less than a year ago by New Castle County Police.
At the time, Col. Elmer Setting announced similar charges against a heroin-dealing ring operating from the Sparrow Run community in Bear, implicating Haye in the drug ring that was responsible for more than 10,000 bags of heroin, as well as ammunition, other drugs and drug proceeds. He was one of 42 people charged in June.
"We are taking heroin off the streets. We are taking guns off the streets," Setting has said. "They're just easily replenished."
DEA Public Information Officer Patrick Trainor said the large number of heroin doses is reflective of the trend seen nationwide. Even in comparison to Philadelphia, he said more than 48,000 bags is a lot of heroin to take off the streets.
The dollar figures associated with heroin seizures often don't reach those associated with cocaine or other drug busts. Wednesday's record is for the number of prepackaged heroin taken out of commission in the county, authorities said. Each bag is equivalent to one dose or hit of heroin.
Some of the heroin that was tested by authorities was found to be laced with the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, Oberly said. The drugs were also stamped with the signature "Godzilla," which Oberly said has been linked to at least one fatal overdose in Wilmington. Drug dealers typically stamp their drugs to help distinguish them.
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Officials went on to say that the drug organization in this seizure, dubbed the "Haye Drug Trafficking Organization" by authorities, was responsible for putting hundreds of bags of heroin on the street a week, and that seizing the large amount of drugs will "undoubtedly" save lives.
"We're never going to be able to arrest our way out of this," Tuggle said, noting the importance of shutting down drug operations early and keeping as much of it as possible off the streets.
Abdul Haye, 28, Amyra Haye, 29, Daniel Haye, 36, Cezar Mills, 30, and Julius R. Williams, 28, were charged in the criminal complaint detailing the investigation, which began in December following a tip from a "cooperating source," according to court documents.
Police were notified that the men now charged, as well as others, were distributing large amounts of heroin in the Delaware area and using two suites in an industrial park in the first block of Albe Drive in Bear as their primary location, according to court documents.
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The men would bring large amounts of heroin down from Philadelphia and repackage it in the industrial park, according to court documents.
Typically, authorities said, in Wilmington a "bundle" of heroin contains 13 individually packaged baggies each containing a single dose of heroin, according to court documents. A "log" typically contains about 10 bundles.
After multiple tips and further investigation, officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 11 at the location, according to court documents. Police said they had probable cause following several successful purchases by undercover DEA agents, as well as "credible" information from informants with charges pending against them.
At least three people provided similar accounts to DEA agents regarding drug activity, guns and cash stored at the Able Drive location, according to court documents.
When police executed the search warrant with the help of Newark and Wilmington SWAT teams, all but one of the Haye brothers ran from the building, as well as Mills and Williams. Abdul Haye climbed into the rafters of the building, but was taken into police custody after an hour, according to court documents.
Inside the building, officers found a loaded Ruger 9mm handgun, as well as a 30-round magazine, according to court documents. They also found a room "which was in the midst of being used for the packaging of heroin" – which was laid out on a long table, according to court documents.
Police also found an additional loaded handgun, ammunition and about $40,000 in cash, Oberly said.
Following their arrest, all five men admitted to working together to sell heroin, as well as meeting at the Albe Drive location to repackage the drug, according to court documents. They all face the charge of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and are in federal custody pending trial.
Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.