Westminster : 3 Pounds of Heroin Seized in Arrest

In what he described as the biggest heroin bust in the city’s history, Police Chief James Cook said Friday that narcotics detectives have seized about 3 pounds of black tar heroin believed to be worth at least $600,000 on the street.

A 29-year-old man was arrested Thursday evening after detectives found the drugs, a handgun, forged documents and about $2,500 in cash at his apartment in the 15100 block of Brookhurst Street, Cook said. A car was also seized.

Cook said the arrest capped a monthlong investigation and showed that “heroin activity is picking up again” in the city as cocaine continues to decline as “the drug of choice.”

Police arrived at the apartment about 6:15 p.m. Thursday. As they approached, the suspect allegedly threw more than two dozen packets of the drug out the back window, Cook said.

Inside, police found 29-year-old Raymundo Aviles Reyes, along with his wife, their young daughter and a male relative. A search of the apartment yielded a loaded handgun, about $2,500 in cash and forged immigration documents and Social Security cards, Cook said.

The heroin, a variety of the drug named for its color, was estimated to be worth between $600,000 and $1 million in street value, depending on its purity. It probably came from Mexico, Cook said.

Reyes, who police believe to be a “middle-level dealer,” was arrested on suspicion of possession of heroin for sale. He was taken to Orange County Jail, where he remained in lieu of $150,000 bail.

The other three were released. Cook said the investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected.