$1.35 Million Worth Of Heroin Recovered In Massive Drug Bust: DA

SPRINGFIELD, MA — A series of raids in Hampden County resulted in an immense drug bust and several arrests of those involved in a high-level heroin trafficking operation, officials announced Tuesday afternoon. Six kilos of heroin - enough for more than 450,000 bags of street product worth well over $1 million - and 4,500 ready-to-sell bags of heroin were recovered in Monday morning's raids, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said. Authorities also recovered six firearms and four vehicles.

Local, state, and federal agencies executed four search warrants throughout Springfield Monday at 6:30 a.m. Seven more warrants - six for vehicles and one for an arrest - were issued. The raids came after months of an investigation into what authorities called a large-scale heroin trafficking organization.

"This was a high-level and sophisticated operation that was supplying this area with heroin,” Gulluni said. "The streets and neighborhoods here in Hampden County are appreciably safer today with these individuals in custody."

The organization’s heroin mill was allegedly located on Cherrelynn Street. It was here the more than six kilos of raw heroin was found. The street price tag on the packaged product was $1.35 million, a "conservative" estimate, Gulluni said. Authorities also recovered 4,500 wax baggies of heroin packaged for retail distribution, and a mill set-up including: packaging, cutting agents, baggies, stamps and grinders that could accommodate 6-8 mill workers.

The investigation also identified a Sterling Street address as the home of one of the primary targets, Josue Pujols. That search resulted in approximately 1.5 oz of uncut heroin, four shotguns, two loaded handguns and multiple baggies, grinders and packaging materials consistent with a small mill, the DA's office said. The location allegedly housed a heroin mill workers would use during the investigation.

The alleged leader of the Cherrelynn Street mill, Fausto Pujols, 28, of Springfield, was arrested at an another location on an arrest warrant for conspiracy to violate drug laws and heroin distribution in the City of Springfield. He was also charged with trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. He was arraigned in Springfield District Court. His bail is set at $250,000.

The following have also been arraigned in Springfield District Court:

• Astrun Pujols, 27, of New York, NY, possession of a firearm without a license. Bail set at $1,000.
• Miguel Sanchez-Brito, 24, of Springfield, possession of a firearm without a license. Bail set at $1,000.
• Josue Pujols, of Fresh Meadows, NY, possession of a firearm without a license (three counts) and trafficking heroin 18-36 grams. Bail set at $50,000.
• Elvis Pujols, 27, of Springfield, trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. Bail set at $100,000.
• Harlem Ciprian, 22, of Springfield, trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. Bail set at $75,000.
• Yankey Ciprian, 19, of Queens, NY, trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. Bail set at $75,000.
• Edward Ciprian, 23, of Queens, NY, trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. Bail set at $75,000.
• Richard Ciprian, 20, of Bronx, NY, trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. Bail set at $75,000.
• Franky Mosquea, 22, , of Queens, NY, trafficking in heroin over 200 grams. Bail set at $75,000.

"The defendants and locations we targeted in this network were critical components of a significant distribution network in this area," State Police Colonel Richard D. McKeon said. "The success of this investigation is the result of close coordination and cooperation among law enforcement partners, a model that is vital to large-scale drug interdiction operations."

Photos courtesy of the DA's office.