500,000 Fatal Doses Of Fentanyl Seized In Montgomery County: DA

NORRISTOWN, PA — A kilogram of fentanyl, a quantity so large that it could kill almost half of the population of Montgomery County, was seized during a months-long investigation that also resulted in the arrests of three drug traffickers, the District Attorney's office announced Tuesday.

"This seizure has, without a doubt, saved many lives," DA Kevin Steele said. "And the arrest of these three significant traffickers has made our county and our entire region safer."

Authorities have described fentanyl, which is up to 50 times deadlier than heroin, as the most frequent cause of death in the ongoing opioid epidemic. Fentanyl is frequently sold as heroin by dealers, wittingly or unwittingly, and drug users have no idea of the lethal potency of what they are consuming.

An investigation began back on July 11 after undercover officers executed a controlled buy, the DA's office said.

Officers purchased a 14.8 gram "sample" of what suspect Christina Mota Soto, 29, of Philadelphia, said was heroin, on that day. The "sample" was intended to be a test for the buyers prior to purchasing the much larger kilo of heroin, according to authorities.

Testing of the 14.8 grams revealed it to be pure fentanyl, with no heroin present.

Undercover officers then negotiated with Mota Soto to purchase the kilo of purported heroin for the price of $64,000. This kilo, of course, also turned out to be pure fentanyl, with no trace of heroin, authorities said.

The controlled buy took place in a shopping center in Cheltenham Township on July 24, and Mota Soto was taken into custody on the scene.

The investigation continued, however, as authorities wanted to trace the fentanyl back to its origin. A second suspect, Payano Del Orbe Jr., who assisted in delivering the fentanyl to Mota Soto before the sale, was arrested on Aug. 21, police said.

Eventually, authorities traced the drugs back to Wilbert Taveras Payano, 33, of the Bronx, New York. Pavano is Del Orbe's cousin and was the source of the fentanyl, the DA said.

Preliminary hearings for Del Orbe and Mota Soto have already been held. Taveras Payano's hearing is set for Oct. 10.

All three suspects have been charged with possession with the intent to deliver, conspiracy, and related charges. All three were also unable to post bail - set at $1 million a piece - and were remanded to Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

Images via Montgomery County DA's Office. Upper left: Mota Soto, lower left, Del Orbe, right, Taveras Payano