NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Investigators in New Bedford recently made the largest drug bust in the department’s history – finding more than 35 pounds of cocaine worth about $1 million.
“A seizure of this size, in this region of the country, is exceptionally uncommon,” New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira said in a statement. “It takes a dedicated detective working within a tenacious team to get this type of result. I’m always very proud of our narcotics unit, but I’m particularly delighted with them today.”
Authorities said the seizure was the result of an investigation into a cocaine delivery service and three separate search warrants, for two residences and a vehicle.
The three warrant locations were connected to the target of the investigation, Gilberto Collazo, 31, who was charged with trafficking in excess of two hundred grams of cocaine, which carries a potential penalty of 12 to 20 years in prison.
“I am very pleased with the efforts of the New Bedford narcotics detectives, which led to the seizure of an extraordinary amount of cocaine,” said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas A. Quinn. “This is the biggest seizure of narcotics in recent memory, if not in the history of New Bedford. This case highlights the large amount of narcotics that continues to be trafficked in our communities on a daily basis. My office will be asking the court to detain this defendant and hold him without bail.”
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