NCPD, joint task force net record heroin haul

Nassau County authorities have busted what they believe to be the largest heroin-trafficking ring in the county, according to Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and District Attorney Madeline Singas.

The joint operation, which was carried out by law enforcement agencies from Nassau, Suffolk and Kings counties, as well as the Long Island Heroin Task Force, began with a tip four months ago and resulted in the arrest of two alleged ringleaders of an enterprise responsible for as 2,600 individual doses of the drug per month, Curran said.

Luis Rivera, 40, of Brooklyn, believed to be the largest heroin trafficker on Long Island, along with his cousin, Orlando Rodriguez, 36, were arrested in the operation, Singas said. Thirteen others were arrested in the joint investigation, including defendants from Wantagh, Albertson, Bellmore, Garden City, Hicksville and Valley Stream.

Rivera was charged with two counts of operating as a major trafficker; four counts of third-degree sale of a controlled substance; and 25 counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. Rodriguez was charged with two counts of operating as a major trafficker; and 25 counts of fourth-degree conspiracy.

According to Singas, the pair allegedly made more than $30,000 per week from their illicit activity, selling  their drugs from the Gateway Shopping Center in Brooklyn. More than 50 of their customers were from Nassau County, Singlas said.

“This massive operation has dismantled the largest known heroin trafficking operation in Nassau County, disrupting the flow of this deadly poison into our communities.” Curran placed the value of the drugs at roughly $1.2 million.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), one gram of heroin yields roughly three to five doses of the drug, at a price of between $5-20 per dose, depending on quality. Addicts with major habits may need as many as 15 doses a day, according to UNODC.

In addition to the drugs, task force officers seized more than $1 million in cash, as well as a Honda Pilot believed to have been used to transport the drugs via a “hide” in the vehicle’s console. There, officers found additional drugs, including cocaine, as well as heroin and cash. Investigators also seized 175 pairs of Jordan sneakers that Rivera and Rodriguez allegedly received as payment for a drug deal.