Crime & Safety

Peabody Man Busted for Drug Trafficking Around North Shore

A 29-year-old Peabody man was arrested on two counts of drug trafficking after an undercover operation by several agencies. Police also said the man had a small child in the car when he was arrested.

Police searched a Caller Street apartment Wednesday afternoon and seized $35,000 in heroin, along with cash and cocaine, after arresting a 29-year-old Peabody man for drug trafficking earlier in the day.

Police also say that the man, 29-year-old Raul Sanchez of 21 Caller St., had a three-year-old child in the car with him when he was arrested over on Lynn Street.

Peabody Police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said in a press release that the department's narcotics unit was initially alerted to a drug operation in the North Shore area by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Portland, Maine office.

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Bonaiuto said an extensive investigation then began, involving Peabody officers, DEA agents in Boston and Maine, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and police units from Saugus, Everett, Wilmington, Burlington and Salem.

Sanchez was taken into custody on two counts of trafficking heroin. He was arraigned in Peabody District Court Thursday and is being held on an ICE detainer, in addition to $10,000 cash bail.

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Bonaiuto said that during the course of the investigation, undercover officers bought heroin from Raul multiple times. Finally, around 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 12, Raul was arrested after another transaction was conducted on Lynn Street. He was taken into custody without incident.

Police later learned that Raul had a three-year-old in the car with him. It was unclear if that was an isolated incident or regular behavior by Raul.

Bonaiuto said detectives searched two apartments associated with Raul -- both at 21 Caller St. -- and located two motor vehicles likewise connected to him. They then seized approximately 220 grams of heroin (worth about $35,000), 30 grams of cocaine (worth about $4,000), $22,000 in cash, the two vehicles and paraphernalia for packaging and sale of illegal narcotics.

Bonaiuto said K-9 units from Everett and Saugus were used to search the vehicles and discovered a sophisticated electronic hidden compartment in one vehicle.


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