NEWARK — Following a three-month investigation into street drug sales in Essex County, authorities today announced the arrests of 17 people in Newark, along with the seizure of five weapons that included an AK-47 assault rifle, a palm-sized Derringer .38 pistol and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
Dubbed "Operation Buy Walk," the multi-agency investigation led to 27 arrests, with six suspects still at-large, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said in an afternoon press conference.
"Illegal drugs fuel violence. Every time we remove an illegal weapon from the streets we believe we save lives," said Murray, flanked by Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio, Orange Police Director Hakim Sims and other law enforcement officials.
Arrests were made at two locations in Newark this morning, in the 100 block of Fabyan Place and the 300 block of Mahogany Court.
About $4,000 worth of crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana was seized, authorities said. The confiscated weapons also included a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and two handguns.
DeMaio said with tightening budgets across the county, police departments can no longer tackle many of the drugs and weapons problems alone.
"By us partnering with the county, state and other agencies, this is a result of what can happen," DeMaio said. "You can't really put a number of what taking these guns off the street does. If these guns are still out on the street tonight, one of these guns could have perpetrated a shooting or a homicide in the city. The value of an arrest like this...it goes beyond words."
The 13 men and three women arrested today in predawn raids in Newark range in age from 18 to 47 years old. Murray said they are not affiliated with each other, though some do have alleged gang connections. All from Newark, except for one from Irvington and another from Montclair.
Last month, the prosecutor's office announced the arrests of eight people on charges of distributing narcotics in Orange as part of the same operation.
"Operation Buy Walk" began with tips to the Orange Police Department from residents complaining about open-air drug dealing in the city, Murray said.
The prosecutor's office displayed weapons they said were similar to the ones confiscated Thursday in Newark as part of "Operation Buy Walk."
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