PHOTO: Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced today the culmination of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into alleged heroin drug distribution within Ocean County. In the first of three operational phases of the pre-summer sweep, detectives from the Prosecutor’s Special Operations Group, Northern Enforcement Unit teamed with the Berkeley Township, South Toms River and Toms River Police Departments to arrest six (6) Ocean County residents on various drug charges.
The first phase of the operation involved a two month long undercover investigation in which Detectives obtained five no knock search warrants for residences located in the Manitou Park section of Berkeley Township and South Toms River. On May 25, 2016 at approximately 5:30 am, the partnering agencies, with assistance from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team and the NJSP TEAMS Unit executed the no knock search warrants at the subject residences. The investigation and search warrants resulted in a seizure of nearly a thousand bags of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, assorted drug paraphernalia and approximately $6000 in cash.
Six were arrested as a result of the investigations first phase.
The second phase of the operation by OCPO’s Special Operations Group, Northern Enforcement Unit and Seaside Heights Police Department involved a month long undercover investigation that that resulted in the arrest of an additional two Ocean County residents on various drug charges into the alleged distribution of prescription pain medication, specifically Oxycodone in the Seaside Heights area. On May 26, 2016 at approximately 12:55 pm, the partnering agencies investigation led to the execution of a no knock search warrant at a residence located at 325 Blaine Avenue Apartment 2, Seaside Heights, NJ. The search would result in the seizure of quantities of Oxycodone prescription pain killers, along with quantities of “Wax” (a derivative of the marijuana plant that is smoked from pipes), assorted drug paraphernalia and approximately $2350 in cash.
The operation resulted in two Ocean County residents being arrested and charged.
The final and largest phase of this first Summer Sweep was dubbed “Operation MVP” after Melvin Vankpana, 23, a.k.a. “Money” of Lakewood and Neptune, who the investigation alleges managed and directed the heroin distribution network in Ocean County. This last phase focusing on high level heroin distributors began in late 2015 and culminated on Thursday (June 2, 2016). The investigation alleges that Vankpana’s network was responsible for the import of approximately 25,000 individual dosage units of heroin every week into Ocean County. The investigation identified locations in Toms River, Lakewood, Brick Township, Jackson and Neptune Township where Vankpana and members of his network would facilitate their illicit drug distribution activities, as well as, store quantities of Heroin for distribution.
During the early morning hours of June 2, 2016, detectives from the Special Operations Group Unit, along with members of the Lakewood Township Police ESU, the Brick Township S.E.R.T Team, the Toms River Police E.S.U., the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force and members of the New Jersey State Police T.E.A.M.S. Unit executed nine no knock search warrants in Lakewood, Brick Township, Jackson and Neptune Township. Simultaneous with the execution of the nine no knock search warrants, members of the U.S. Marshalls Service, along with members of the Prosecutor’s Special Operations Group, the Toms River Police Department and the Lakewood Township Police department responded to residences in Toms River and Lakewood to execute arrest warrants associated with this operation.
Operation “MVP” resulted in the seizure of approximately 8000 individual dosage units of heroin, quantities of prescription pills, cocaine and marijuana, an AR 15 Assault Rifle, a Ruger Semi-Automatic Pistol and approximately $40,000 in cash.
As reported last week on TLS, Search Warrants were executed at multiple locations, and 18 individuals were arrested as a result of operation “MVP”. Some suspects are still at large.
All of the aforementioned bails were set by the Honorable Ocean County Superior Court Judge James M. Blaney, JSC. All of the arrested individuals who had bails set were transported to the Ocean County Jail in lieu of the listed bail.
This operation involved the strength of the following agencies, in addition to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Operations Group”:
Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Operations Group
Brick Township Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit
Brick Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit
Toms River Police Emergency Services Unit
Toms River Police Department K-9 Unit
Toms River Police Department Special Enforcement Team
Lakewood Township Police Department SWAT Team
Lakewood Township Police Street Crimes Unit
Manchester Police Department
Manchester Township Police Special Enforcement Team
Berkeley Township Police Department
South Toms River Police Department
Lacey Township Police Department
Ocean Township Police Department
Jackson Township Police Department
Barnegat Township Police Department Narcotics Unit
Little Egg Harbor Police Department
Stafford Township Police Department
New Jersey State Police TEAMS Unit
New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit
Ocean County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit
Ocean County Sheriff’s Department C.S.I.
Ocean County Regional SWAT Team
Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force
Neptune Township Police Department
United States Marshalls Service
The media and public are reminded that criminal charges are merely accusations and that these defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
[TLS]
Nice Job guys keep up the good work
Thank you for getting more of Lakewood’s drugs off the streets of Ocean County!
Great job to the men and women of these agencies !
More man hours and overtime spent than drugs removed from the streets.
Hey Riffi, when you live right next to The place where all of these drugs are taking place, and all it takes is one crack, no pun intended,of your child testing it out, then yes even if it’s more manpower then drugs taken off it’s still worth it .
See thats the problem with some people take riffs comment for example no matter what the police do its never good enough for some people, how about all u complainers go through the academy and then u can do the job ur always complaining about. Good job police keep it up