Bensalem police arrest 2, seize drugs worth $11.7 million
It was one of the biggest drug busts in county history, authorities said. A K-9 dog sniffed out the heroin and methamphetamine in a tractor-trailer on Street Road. \
Bensalem police arrest 2, seize drugs worth $11.7 million
A Bensalem Township police officer on routine patrol with his K-9 dog made one of Bucks County’s biggest drug busts on Sunday, seizing heroin and methampehamine worth $11.7 million, authorities said Monday.
The 15 kilos of heroin and 20 pounds of “very pure crystal methamphetamine” were not earmarked for Bensalem, “but they were earmarked for the Delaware Valley,” township Public Safety Director Fred Harran said at a news conference.
“I can’t imagine how many lives were saved last night of people overdosing on this stuff,” Harran said, with the plastic-wrapped bricks of drugs lined up neatly in front of him. “There’s a lot of people not going to get high this week.”
The drugs were found after Officer Brian Cowden, a 10-year veteran of the force, pulled over a tractor-trailer with California license plates and registration on Street Road, and his police dog, Edo, sniffed out the narcotics, Harran said.
The driver, Estaban Zalazar Velasco, 35, of Galt, Calif., and passenger, Juan Ledesma-Nolasco, 48, of Livermore, Calif., were arrested and arraigned before District Justice Joanne V. Kline. They were each being held Monday on $1 million bail in Bucks County Prison, on felony charges of criminal conspiracy and the manufacture, delivery, possession and intent to deliver controlled substances.
Cowden “was in the right spot, saw something he didn’t like, and moved on it,” Harran said.
The officer was on an “unrelated detail” at State Road and American Drive when he saw the two men “walking around suspiciously,” Harran said. After they drove off in the 18-wheeler, Cowden noticed several vehicle violations and pulled them over, Harran said.
Edo, a 2 ½-year-old Belgian Malinois trained to detect narcotics, sniffed out the heroin and methamphetamine in the truck’s sleeping compartment, Harran said.
The heroin has a street value of $9 million, and the methamphetamine is worth $2.7 million, Harran said.
The methamphetamine appeared to have come from Mexico, he said. “It’s not typical Pennsylvania methamphetamine.”
Police are still investigating where the drugs came from and the route the two suspects took to Bensalem. The tractor-trailer was being held in the police department’s impound lot.
“These kinds of drugs are the reasons for the shootings, beating and robberies you see on the news every night,” Harran said. “This is going to put a dent in someone’s business.”
In 2009, Cowden received the county’s Outstanding Police Performance Award from the Citizen's Crime Commission of the Delaware Valley. At that time, he had confiscated more than $500,000 used in illegal narcotics traffic, plus drugs “that were passing through our township for distribution in the Delaware Valley,” according to Bensalem’s newsletter.
Cowden was not available for comment.
Will be interesting to see if they get off on an illegal stop.— kingnutter- Will be interesting to see if they get off on an illegal stop.— kingnutter
- Wow, seems like a great case. Go to pensioned Philly Cop; Robert A. Young's Blog For Social Responsibility for major and unique articles ranging from media relations, to car stop procedures to use of legal force by police officers. Blog accessed by internet search engines— NICOT
- Lopez..for you information Fox News is fair and balanced..it is you my illegal who is living high on the dollar hand out and are mentally unbalanced.— blombard
- you prove my point, thank you.
RAGE!!!!!!!— the lopez! - WOW! blow(hard)bard...You REALLY drank the GOP/FOX News kool-aid, didn't you? — BiggMann2011
- How anyone can believe that fox news is "fair and balanced" is completely beyond me. Ever read 1984, my friend? Ever read? — lcfd
- Scared of 1984? Then read how many Democrats voted for the Patriot act as well. Quick picking sides, there isn't a good one. — towelie
- the cops were tipped off. or real lucky— justintime73
- blombard, fox news is fair and balanced? Why because they say so...your a dolt.— 17cygnus17
- These gentlemen should be extradited to Philadelphia, pardoned and given season passes to the Duck Boat.— fallsrogue
- Huh? There's brothers AND (a lot more) latinos in Bensalem. But theres ALSO aggressive police :D! Thats why it hasn't deteriorated into an third world warzone like the 'hood in Philly LOL!— RAP_SUX
- This bust isn't going to make anyone not get high this week Mr. Harran.— aParis
- just think, some people think this only happens in north phila.— etbarksdale
- Tell you what, I can walk down Street Road in Bensalem after sunset and its completely safe and I will not see one group of dangerous hoodlums hijacking any of the street corners. I dunno if I can say the same thing about North Philly, SW Kingsessing Philly or any of the other 'hoods in Philly :D.— RAP_SUX
