Arrests lead to drug paraphernalia seizure in Nassau

Stephen Romano

A $19,000 fentanyl sale to undercover cops in Great Neck led police to a drug operation  believed to be supplying the East coast with drug paraphernalia, authorities said Wednesday.

Hussein “Jay” Kaafarani, 50, Ali Kaafarani, 28, and Mohamad Nehme, 33, all of Queens, were arrested on Wednesday following an investigation into a drug packaging material business.

Undercover cops bought glassine envelopes — which are used to package crack and heroin — from a drug packaging material website the three men had set up, officials said. The men then offered the undercover cops fentanyl and ketamine, synthetic drugs mixed with heroin that have led to many deaths on Long Island and around the country.

The arrests, which were part of a seven-month operation between the Nassau County police, district attorney and Drug Enforcement Administration, led the police to raid three storage facilities in Queens where they found 1,000 boxes of glassine envelopes each containing 2,500 envelopes, police said.

Police also seized $25,000 in cash and are searching for $600,000 stashed in bank accounts that are linked to the suspects, police said.

Hussein Kaafarani was charged with criminal use of drug paraphernalia.

Nehme and Ali Kaafarani were charged with five counts of second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and five counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Ali Kaafarani was also charged with fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia.

In 2016, there were 852 heroin-related arrests in Nassau County, with a large portion of them occurring in the 3rd Precinct, which covers Great Neck.

In April, a joint operation led to a bust of 34 alleged heroin dealers in a plot that used Route 110 to transport drugs.

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