Nearly $100,000 In Cocaine Seized In Mercer County: Prosecutor

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — A Jersey City man was arrested after nearly $100,000 in cocaine was seized during a Mercer County traffic stop, Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said Thursday.

Hector Perez-Suarez, 31, of Jersey City, was charged with first-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession with the intent to distribute.

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, detectives conducted a motor vehicle stop of a silver BMW in the area of Parkway Avenue, Trenton, as part of an ongoing investigation. Detective Tom Paglione and his narcotic canine, Indy, conducted an exterior and interior sniff of the vehicle, Onofri said.

Indy was alerted to the scent of narcotics inside the BMW and a search revealed a plastic bag containing a kilogram of cocaine powder on the rear floor next to the rear center console, Onofri said.

A search of Perez also revealed $2,100 in cash. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain him pending trial.

The investigation was jointly conducted by members of the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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