2 Kilos of Heroin Seized in Havre de Grace: Sheriff

Authorities found two kilos of heroin Thursday in a vehicle with out-of-state plates in Havre de Grace after following up on a tip from a confidential source, according to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office.

Servonte Rhamone Smith, 26, of Portsmouth, Va., is charged with possession of a large amount of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of heroin, according to court records.

The Harford County Task Force began conducting surveillance in the 400 block of Congress Avenue after receiving a tip from a confidential source that someone in that location had a large quantity of drugs, the sheriff’s office reported. The task force is a multi-jurisdictional group that investigates drugs.

Detectives saw an individual with California plates going in and out of an apartment building in the 400 block of Congress Avenue, according to the report.

After the driver went to a local business and was on the way back to the apartment building, authorities saw him commit traffic violations and were going to stop him, the report said.

He failed to stop at a stop sign and failed to use headlights in inclement weather, Harford County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Cristie Kahler told Patch.

Before they could stop him, officials said Smith quickly parked and left the vehicle, and when they approached him, police reported smelling an “overwhelming odor of burnt marijuana” and subsequently arrested him.

Upon opening the door to his vehicle, authorities found an open package on the rear passenger-side seat which, upon investigation, was found to contain two “bricks,” or kilos, of heroin, the sheriff’s office reported.

The drugs were in vacuum-sealed bags sealed with duct tape, something detectives knew was consistent with drug trafficking, the report said. The drugs inside the packages tested positive for heroin, according to the report.

Investigators obtained search warrants for the apartment in the 400 block of Congress Avenue and a hotel room in Aberdeen, where they found money, drug packaging materials and a small amount of marijuana, the report said.

Smith was taken to the Harford County Detention Center, where he is being held on $200,000 bond, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office reported. He has a preliminary hearing in Harford County District Court on Oct. 29.

The Harford County Drug Task Force, which conducted the investigation, is continuing to search for other individuals who may be involved in what officials suspect may be a drug trafficking organization.

The task force includes members from the Harford County Seriff’s Office; Havre de Grace, Aberdeen and Bel Air police departments; the DEA; and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“In an ongoing effort in the fight against the heroin epidemic plaguing our communities, the task force is tirelessly pursuing the other members of this heroin trafficking organization in an attempt to bring them to justice for bringing this dangerous and deadly drug into the Harford County communities,” the sheriff’s office said in its report.

Photo Credit: Harford County Sheriff’s Office.