Five arrested after NJ officers seized assault rifles, drugs and cash during a multi-county raid

Five people have been arrested after police seized drugs, an assault rifle and other weapons and $6,500 cash during raids in Essex, Hudson and Union counties last week, authorities said Thursday.

The raids were the culmination of a four-month investigation and targeted people believed to be involved in drug distribution, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said in a statement.

About 27 grams of heroin, 20 vials of cocaine and crack cocaine, 84 ecstasy pills, oxycodone, Xanax and drug packaging paraphernalia were recovered, Stephens said. The street value of the drugs is estimated at approximately $7,000.

Approximately $6,500 in cash, three handguns, one assault rifle, one silencer, one drum magazine and two extended magazines were also recovered in the raids, according to Stephens.

Two vehicles were also seized, one of which had a hidden aftermarket compartment often used to evade detection by law enforcement, Stephens said.

Four men and one woman between the ages of 44 and 55 were taken into custody on drug-related charges. One of the men also faces first-degree weapons charges, prosecutors said.