Novi heroin bust nets nearly 88 pounds; 3 arrested

NOVI, Mich. (WJBK) - A massive drug bust in a Novi condo complex as the feds seized nearly 88 pounds of heroin from one of the units and now three men are in custody.

DEA agents are calling this near 40 kilos significant but they also say the scope of this problem is so enormous - there's much more work to do

The epidemic hits too close to home every day across America as more and more people graduate from prescription narcotics to heroin. On Monday the DEA made a major dent in that drug trade here in metro Detroit.

The bust took place at an apartment on Joyce Lane in Novi off 13 Mile near Novi Road. The three men arrested Monday were 26-year-old Andre Lee Scott, 51-year-old Adolfo Lopez and 22-year-old Manuel Barajas are in federal custody with a court hearing later this week.

"Approximately 40 kilograms of suspected heroin," said David Grant, assistant special agent in charge. "And when you start dosing that out it's in the millions."

"This is one of the most significant ones we've had here recently," said Bruce McColley, assistant special agent in charge.

The assistant special agents in charge of the DEA in Detroit- can't discuss the investigation itself - but according to the complaint, agents entered the apartment Monday morning - and found the three men inside.

Very little furniture could be found - but a whole lot of heroin, bricks and bricks of the deadly, dangerous drug.

"(It is) worse than it's ever been with the advent of fentanyl and Carfentanil and other fentanyl related substances," Grant said.

His agency along with other federal, state and local agencies have been trying to tackle this opioid epidemic. It has conducted community town halls like this one last month to making major busts like the one on Monday.  But the problem is widespread.

"Our community right now is being ravaged by overdoses," Grant said. "Just think about it, you can fill Comerica Park and have standing room in the aisles with the number of overdoses happening in our country."

"I think it's important we work closely with our community and our schools in educating the students out there of how susceptible they are to this addiction and how easy it is to fall prey," said McColley.
 

Novi heroin raid by DEA by David Komer on Scribd