Routine Traffic Stop Leads to Discovery of $400K Worth of Heroin
A man stopped by police over a routine traffic stopped was discovered to be carrying around hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of heroin. David Morales, of Salem, Massachusetts, was stopped in Sturbridge by State Police after making an unsafe lane change while driving Monday afternoon around 1 p.m.
When troopers approached the 35-year-old's car, Officer Scott Driscoll noticed his windows were tinted darker than the legal limit. After the car had pulled to a stop, a state police K9 team led by Trooper George Demos was called for assistance. Upon arrival, the police dog leaped through the open window of the driver's side, scratching and biting at the center console. This signal alerted police that there were narcotics present.
State police officers then searched Morales' 2007 Nissan Altima, where they found four one-kilogram bricks of a substance believed to be heroin. The bricks were labeled with duct-tape marked "viuda negra," or 'black widow' heroin, according to The Telegram.
According to State Police, the wholesale value of this quantity of narcotics would be close to $400,000.
In Morales' car was a woman passenger and three children. The woman claimed to have any knowledge of the drugs and she and the three children were allowed to leave. While the children's ages were not listed, the police report said their birth years as 2004, 2009 and 2013.
Morales was arrested on multiple charges including trafficking heroin, making an unsafe lane change and having an obstructed window and is being held at the police state barracks in Sturbridge in lieu of $100,000 bail. His arraignment in Dudley District Court was held; Morales pled not guilty to all charges and will return to court for a pretrial hearing on Nov. 24.
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