UPDATE: Andover PD Arrests 3 in Morning Drug Raid, Found Cash, Heroin, Gun

Andover police detectives, after investigating a heroin dealing operation in town, got a search warrant and it resulted in three arrests on Wednesday morning, said police. The raid, at an apartment on Bullfinch Drive, uncovered more than 100 grams of heroin, a firearm and thousands in cash.

Luis E. Hiciano, 22, of Andover, was arrested and charged with Trafficking Over 100 Grams of Heroin, Possession of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, and Distribution of Heroin.

Joselin Eliezar Reina-Mercedes, 23, of Methuen, was arrested and charged with Trafficking Over 100 Grams of Heroin.

E Luz D. Made, 21, of Lawrence, was arrested and charged with Trafficking Over 100 Grams of Heroin

All three suspects face a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence for the trafficking charge if convicted.

“Today, the Andover Police Department dealt a major setback to the drug trade in our region,” Andover Chief Keefe said. “Heroin is a serious problem, affecting nearly every community in the commonwealth, but today Andover has sent a clear message to those looking to sell their poisons on our community: Take your business elsewhere.”

Detectives had intelligence that a firearm was present in the apartment, and the department decided to call in the NEMLEC SWAT Team to help serve the search warrant. Officers went into the home at 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning. No one was injured, said police.

Inside, officers found about 20 bags totaling 137 grams of heroin, a 9mm Berretta handgun, and more than $24,000 in cash. Some of the heroin looked to be packaged and ready to sell. The three suspects were arrested at the scene.

Heroin and opioid use, sale, and overdose are leading public safety concerns in Massachusetts, remind Andover Police. Health officials say opioid overdose is one of the leading causes of death in Massachusetts, and Governor Deval Patrick declared it a public health crisis in March.

No community has been immune to the problem. The Andover Police Department has attacked heroin and opioids head-on with a mixture prevention, treatment, and enforcement measures, it said in a press release.

So far, five alleged dealers have been arrested this year. Two other suspected dealers were arrested in January. The department has also made more than four dozen arrests for Class A Drug possession, which puts Andover on pace to have more heroin/opioid arrests this year than any other year in recent memory.

The department has also hosted overdose prevention training and Narcan administration courses for the public and recently installed a MedReturn drug drop

“We are aggressively enforcing the drug laws, but at the same time, we are mindful that the nation is not simply going to arrest its way out of the heroin crisis,” said Andover Police Commander Charles E. Heseltine. “We must go after heroin at the sources and on the streets, but we also choose to take steps to prevent drug use in the first place and to prevent the loss of life.

The three suspects in Wednesday’s raid were taken to the Andover Police Department for booking and will likely be arraigned in Lawrence District Court later today.