Man Arrested, $140K In Heroin Seized In Mercer County: Prosecutor

One person was arrested and $140,000 in heroin was seized during a drug bust last week, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced. Erik Pinto-Polanco, 39, of Trenton, was arrested and charged with first-degree drug offenses on Friday, Oct. 12, Onofri said on Tuesday.

Detectives began watching him after they learned that he would be involved in a drug deal involving a large amount of heroin, according to officials. They stopped his silver Nissan Quest without incident at Park Avenue and South Broad Street in Hamilton at about 7:30 p.m., officials said.

A New Jersey State Police trooper and his K9 partner, Odin, conducted a narcotic “sniff” of the car. After Odin indicated there were narcotics in the front seat, detectives obtained a search warrant. They said they found about 700 grams of heroin in the car. Cash totaling $685 found on Pinto-Polanco was also seized, along with the car. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain Pinto-Polanco.

The investigation was conducted by detectives from the Princeton, Hamilton and Trenton police departments, New Jersey State Police and Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA 3, under the command of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit.

The attached image of Erik Pinto-Polanco was provided by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office