Toms River Police SET Team Works To Stem Drug Trade In Pandemic

TOMS RIVER, NJ — In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, while many many activities have been curtailed, addiction has been increasing across the country.

Overdose deaths have been on the rise, up 26 percent in Ocean County through the end of August, according to the state's NJCARES website, which tracks drug addiction and overdose information across New Jersey.

The number of suspected overdose deaths through Aug. 31 is 161 in Ocean County, up from 127 through the same point in 2019. The state website does not provide town-by-town figures.

Toms River law enforcement is working to do what it can to disrupt drug distribution through the police department's Special Enforcement Team, which conducts undercover operations and surveillance in its efforts to get drugs off the streets.

As of the end of September, the SET team has seized more than 105 bricks' worth of heroin doses and a laundry list of other drugs, from cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms to marijuana and a variety of pills.

"While most are sleeping, these officers are conducting surveillance and making arrests," the police department said in a post on Facebook sharing the statistics on drug seizures by the SET team.

The officers on the unit have seized more than $117,000 in cash and three firearms, and recovered a stolen vehicle. They also have made 119 arrests, the department said.

"Their mission is solely to make sure the streets of Toms River remain safe for our families," the department said.

It gave the following statistics on drugs the unit has seized so far in 2020:

• Heroin: 5272 wax folds
• Cocaine: 751 grams
• Methamphetamine: 20 grams
• Marijuana: 3926 grams
• THC Cartridges: 35 cartridges
• Synthetic Marijuana: 17 grams
• Psilocybin Mushrooms: 120 grams
• Suboxone: 58 films/pills
• Oxycodone: 67 pills
• Alprazolam: 96 pills
• Ecstasy/MDMA: 20 pills

"Their message to anyone looking to conduct illegal business in Toms River, 'Not in our town!' " the department said.

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