Friday, December 16, 2016

$270,000 Worth of Heroin Seized in Traffic Stop on Interstate 78 on Thursday

Thousands of baggies of heroin were seized Thursday during a traffic stop on Interstate 78 on Thursday.

According to Pennsylvania State Police at Hamburg, a traffic stop was conducted for a vehicle code violation on Interstate 78 Westbound near Milemarker 19.2 around 4:00pm on Thursday, 12/15/16.

During the traffic stop, the State Trooper observed multiple indicators that criminal activity was taking place.

A search of the vehicle was conducted where a false compartment was located under the rear of the vehicle.  The trooper found what he thought at the time was bricks of suspected heroin.

The driver of the vehicle, Aldo Matias-Rosario, 29, of Elizabeth, NJ was placed under arrest and transported back to the Pennsylvania State Police Barracks at Hamburg, along with the suspected vehicle and heroin.

A preliminary drug test was conducted on the suspected heroin, where it tested positive.

In total, 27,000 individual baggies of heroin was seized worth an estimated street value of $270,000.

The accused is facing charges of felony possession with intent to deliver, felony criminal use of a communication facility, 2 counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and summary traffic violations.

Matias-Rosario was arraigned and locked up in Berks County Prison unable to post $200,000 monetary bail.