Three men from Suffolk and two from New Jersey are under arrest after prosecutors say they helped run a drug ring that has roots on Long Island.
The Suffolk DA, Suffolk police, the DEA and the U.S. Postal Service announced the takedown Monday in what is being called a multimillion-dollar, cross-country drug trafficking ring.
The takedown led to the seizure of 19 kilos of cocaine and heroin, along with more than $1 million in cash and weapons. Officials say the resale value of the seized drugs is estimated to be about $4 million.
Suffolk DA Tim Sini said, "With this takedown, we've put a large-scale drug distribution network out of business and prevented 19 kilograms of narcotics from reaching the streets of Suffolk County."
Among those arrested were residents of Wading River, Coram and Lake Grove, along with two from Passaic, New Jersey, including one who was a corrections officers.
"Every two weeks the ringleaders of this operation, two of them would fly and one of them would drive out west to California pick up the narcotics and drive them back to Suffolk County," says Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart.
In some cases, officials say the drugs were sent through the Postal Service. Law enforcement executed search warrants at six locations Saturday, where they seized the drugs, cash and guns.
If convicted of the top count, three of the defendants face a maximum of 25 years to life in prison. The other two face up to 25 years behind bars.