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Drugs are a growing problem in town, according to Police Chief Fred Douglas, who held a press conference on Wednesday to highlight two recent large, unrelated drug busts.
In the first case, Sarah A. Crosby, 23, of 221 Ashburnham Road, New Ipswich, was charged with one count of sale of a narcotic drug, believed to be heroin. A second person taken into custody with Crosby, Zackery P. Hutchinson, 23, of the same address, was charged with being an accomplice for driving her to Milford to make the sale.
An undercover New Hampshire Attorney General Drug Task Force agent and Milford Police made the arrests on April 2. The bust took place at 8 p.m. in the Shaw's supermarket parking lot, according to Douglas.
In unrelated case, police arrested David J. Dumas, 19, 42 West Hill Road, Brookline, on April 16 on several drug-related charges.
In the Dumas case, an undisclosed amount of marijuana was taken, along with cocaine, and just over $2,000 in cash. In a relatively uncommon move, police have filed paperwork with the attorney general's office to seize Dumas's 2002 Acura RSX. Police believe Dumas intended to distribute.
"We're seeing an increase in this type of activity," said Douglas. "We're going to aggressively tackle this issue."
Douglas couldn't quantify by how much drug arrests have gone up in particular, but did say the number was increasing a noticeable amount.
Arrests in general are on the rise. Last year, Milford Police made about 86 arrests in the first quarter police. This year, there have been 167 arrests this year, he said.
Crosby and Hutchinson were caught with ten bundles of what officials believe to be heroin, New Hampshire Drug Task Force Executive Officer Richard Farrell said in a telephone interview. The average bundle may weigh between eight and 12 grams and there are usually between eight and 12 bags per bundle, said Farrell.
"This would be a nice grab anywhere in New Hampshire," said Farrell.
It may sound like a small quantity to a layperson, but today's heroin is extremely potent because it's usually between 26 to 30 percent pure, said Farrell.
Douglas declined to comment on the purity of the heroin alleged in the Crosby case because tests on the substance were ongoing. "As far as I'm concerned any amount of drugs is substantial," he said.
He declined to say whether their residence in New Ipswich has been searched, but did say the investigation is ongoing.
Crosby and Hutchinson face 3-1/2 to 7 years in prison if convicted, said Douglas. They were each released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail and are due to appear in Milford District Court on May 27.
The suspects set the terms of the sale, including the location, said Farrell.
He encouraged people – especially parents – to be on the lookout for signs of heroin use.
Signs that someone is abusing heroin can include the person falling asleep suddenly and at inappropriate times, track marks on arms and infected needle scars between fingers and toes, said Farrell.
If a parent suspects his or her child is on heroin that parent should take their to the family's physician as soon as possible.
"You have to intervene because heroin is an awful thing," said Farrell.
The drug task force and Milford Police cooperated at all stages of the arrests of Crosby and Hutchinson, said Farrell, who could not elaborate.
Dumas was charged with two Class A misdemeanors, possession of drugs in a motor vehicle and unlawful possession of marijuana, and felony charges of unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine. He was released on $1,500 personal recognizance bail. He is scheduled to appear in Milford District Court on May 13.
Dumas was arrested following a stop for speeding while traveling along Nashua Street on April 14 at around 8:30 p.m.
Police grew suspicious of Dumas when an officer noticed Dumas attempting to hide a bag containing a large amount of cash. After Dumas gave police permission to search the car, they found "several drug publications" and a safe that smelled like marijuana, according to the search warrant documents.
Later, police K-9 Zed reacted to the presence of drugs in the safe. Based on the officer's and Zed's observations, the vehicle was seized and the vehicle searched further after a search warrant was obtained.
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