What will most likely be trafficking amounts of cocaine and fentanyl were discovered Monday in an apartment in the 100 block of East Fourth Street, according to the Roanoke Rapids Police Department.
In addition to the cocaine and fentanyl — 73 grams of cocaine, 5.5 grams of crack and 2.38 grams of fentanyl — officers seized approximately 4,000 grams of marijuana, 10 grams of heroin, 10 Alprazolam pills, a Glock 19 handgun with an extended magazine and $3,442 in currency.
The investigation which led to the raid, which occurred around 2:30 p.m., began last month when a concerned citizen contacted Captain Jamie Hardy about “well-known drug dealers being at the apartment building,” Chief Bobby Martin said.
Upon receiving the complaint detectives began their investigation to identify people at the residence and what was taking place.
During several hours of surveillance and assistance from the community, officers determined that the apartment was being used as a trap house to store illegal narcotics, money, and firearms. The information was enough for officers to apply for a search warrant.
“The Roanoke Rapids Police Department will be presenting the case to the United States Attorney’s Office in hopes of pursuing federal charges against the subjects that were using this residence as a trap house,” Martin said. “This type of activity poses an unnecessary risk to the citizens of the Roanoke Valley due to the violence that tends to follow this type of activity and it will not be accepted in our community.”
Martin said the police department encourages the community to report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. “We have a great community and we must stand together as a community to let the ones involved in this type of illegal activity know that we will not condone this in our city. We must set the standard for our children to observe and grow from. If we, as a whole, stand together we can make a difference.”
Martin also commended Hardy and narcotics Agent C. Batchelor, the community and patrol division for what he described as a job well done. “We will continue to investigate and arrest those that feel like they can bring drugs into Roanoke Rapids and freely sell them to our citizens.”
The police chief also encourages the individuals, who have not yet been named, to identify and claim “these lost items. We would love to speak to you or you can wait until we find you. It is your choice because we know who you are. (We) hope you have a great day.”
