Four Nassau men are accused of agreeing to sell heroin to undercover detectives.
Police say the suspects agreed to sell the drugs to detectives with the Nassau-Suffolk Heroin Task Force last month. They were arrested in two separate busts in Merrick.
The suspects have been identified as Daniel Cymerys, 30, of East Meadow; Raymond Budney, 33, of Merrick; Kyle Gleason, 32, of Merrick; and Colin Poore, 34, also of Merrick.
Detectives say they seized hundreds of bags of heroin, as well as methadone pills and nearly $18,000 in cash as the men were taken into custody.
The four suspects are each facing several counts of possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Back in August, five people were arrested when police raided a Merrick Avenue home next to a day care and allegedly found a handgun, heroin and marijuana. While police say that the case is not connected to the latest arrests, neighbors say they fear the scourge of heroin is worsening in their area.
Joe Baker has lived in his Merrick neighborhood for 67 years and is the president of the local civic association. He says the community is working with law enforcement to stop what they say is a dangerous spike in their neighborhood.
"Now it's literally in our backyard," Baker says. "The source where it's coming from has to be cut off."