Eight people were arrested and $500,000 worth of drugs were seized in an investigation stretching across Union County and into Middlesex Counties.
LINDEN -- It had been operating for months: a makeshift heroin mill fully functioning in the basement of an Elizabeth home and distributing drugs to a network of dealers in two counties, authorities said today.
On Friday, Elizabeth police, the Union County Prosecutor's Office and the FBI coordinated raids shut that down the mill, rounded up eight suspects and confiscated drugs with an estimated street value of more than $500,000, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace Park said in a statement on Tuesday.
Officers seized half a kilogram of raw heroin along with 7,700 folds or tiny envelops of heroin packaged into bricks, more than a full kilogram of cocaine, and half a kilogram of the designer drug known as "molly," Park said. Additionally, $63,500 in cash was confiscated, she said.
Authorities identified the primary target of the investigation as Dario Camino, 36, of Elizabeth.
"The investigation revealed that Dario Camino and his co-defendants had been orchestrating the distribution of large quantities of heroin and other drugs in and around the Elizabeth area during recent months," Park said.
On Friday, when Elizabeth police SWAT members approached Camino outside his home on the 1100 block of Mary Street, Camino got in his vehicle and sped away, the prosecutor said.
She said detectives arrested both Camino and another suspect, Jose Segovia, 31, a short time later at a bar in neighboring Newark.
Also arrested were Erika Garcia, 35, of Newark; Fatima Gonzalez, 22, and Martin Davis, 37, both of Plainfield; and Geovany Camino, 32, and Eddie Jimenez, 36, both of Elizabeth. Authorities did not indicate if Dario Camino and Geovany Camino are related.
The eighth suspect, Amber Tompkins, 25, of Old Bridge, surrendered to authorities on Monday, Park said.
When police entered Dario Camino's home, they found a full brick of heroin, packaging paraphernalia -- including a stamp, ink pads, rubber bands, and empty packaging folds all used in the packaging of heroin -- as well as nearly $37,000 in cash, authorities said.
They said most of the drugs were found at a residence on the 200 block of Clark Place in Elizabeth, where Geovany Camino and Gonzalez were arrested.
Officers there found the heroin mill with two drug presses, respirator masks, numerous stamps and ink pads, blenders, scales, rubber bands, and thousands of new empty folds used for packaging heroin, the prosecutor said.
She said Jimenez and Garcia were arrested at Jimenez's home on the 600 block of Elizabeth Avenue in Elizabeth.
Davis was arrested at his home on the 900 block of Prospect Avenue in Plainfield, where, authorities said, investigators seized $20,000 cash, raw and packaged heroin, ventilation masks, mixing bowls, rubber bands, rolls of tape, and numerous stamps with various markings used in the processing and packaging of heroin.
Dario Camino, Geovany Camino and Gonzalez are each charged with first-degree racketeering, first-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, first-degree maintaining a drug production facility, second-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and related lesser drug offenses.
Dario Camino also was charged with second-degree eluding. Superior Court Judge Regina Caulfield set bail for Dario and Geovany Camino at $500,000 each, and set bail for Gonzalez at $250,000.
Davis and Jimenez both were charged with first-degree racketeering, second-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and multiple related second- and third-degree drug offenses, and their bail was set at at $350,000 each, cash only.
Tompkins faces charged of first-degree racketeering and third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and she is being held on $150,000.
Segovia was charged with third-degree hindering apprehension, while Garcia was charged with two disorderly persons drug offenses, authorities said.
The search warrants for the raids were obtained following an approximately three-week long investigation of the Guns, Gangs, Drugs and Violent Crimes Task Force in the prosecutor's office, Park said.
She said the task force, Elizabeth police and the FBI coordinated the raids, with assistance from police in Newark, Old Bridge, Plainfield, and Union County Police, and the Union County Sheriff's Office, and the prosecutor's offices in Essex, Middlesex and Somerset counties.
"We would like to express our profound gratitude to each of the assisting law enforcement agencies for providing invaluable logistical support in this investigation," Park said. "This was a true group effort that quickly produced outstanding results."
First-degree crimes carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.