A suspected narcotics dealer and his alleged client were arrested on Tuesday afternoon by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
According to authorities, in response to numerous neighborhood complaints of open-air drug trafficking in the area of South 6th Street and Springfield Avenue in the city’s West Ward officers from Bureau of Narcotics conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation at that location yesterday.
A female, later identified as Noreen McLean, 54, of Newark, was observed as she walked into a weed strewn residential parking lot at 408 South 6th Street, where she was soon joined by Rajohn D. Abney, 18, of Newark, who arrived at the scene on a bicycle.
After the pair engaged in a brief conversation, Abney walked to a nearby overgrown grassy area and removed a clear plastic sandwich bag which had been secreted in the weeds. Abney removed an item from the bag and exchanged it with McLean for cash.
As Abney rode away, our officers announced their presence and found McLean in possession of one heroin-filled glassine envelop, stamped ‘Pacquiao’ in blue ink.
The plastic bag was unearthed and it was found to contain 108 plastic jugs of ‘crack’ cocaine and an additional deck of heroin, added police.
The sheriff’s detectives arrested Abney at the intersection of Springfield and Littleton avenues without incident. He was found to be in possession of $146 in alleged drug proceeds.
Abney was charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Harriet Tubman School. He was also charged with the sale and distribution of narcotics to McLean.
McLean was charged with possession of CDS. She was issued a summons and released in her own recognizance. Her charge will be heard in Central Judicial Processing court on July 21st.
Abney was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing.