‘Pink cocaine’ and $520K in cash seized in major NJ drug bust

💰 Investigators said they seized $520,000 cash, guns and a huge stash of drugs in a Bergen County bust.

🚔 Palisades Park man accused of leading operation across New Jersey and New York now faces life in prison.

💊 Cocaine, Adderall, ketamine, mushrooms, ecstasy, and pink cocaine were among the drugs confiscated.

PALISADES PARK — Investigators said they seized over half a million dollars in cash plus a wide assortment of drugs in a major trafficking ring bust.

Kwang Joo, 40, of Palisades Park, is accused of leading the operation that sent all kinds of drugs throughout New Jersey and New York. He's charged with 13 major crimes, including first-degree leader of a narcotics trafficking network, running a drug production facility, money laundering, plus numerous drug and firearm charges.

Bergen County drug raid uncovers cash, guns and cocaine

Two illegal drug labs were found and dismantled during five searches in Palisades Park and Englewood Cliffs last week, according to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.

"The complaints in this case describe a sophisticated network that was dealing in distribution of cocaine and other dangerous drugs and generating large cash proceeds," said Davenport.

Detectives said they seized:

💊 $520,000 in cash;
💊 two handguns and a rifle;
💊 57 kilograms of cocaine;
💊 250 grams of tusi, also known as pink cocaine;
💊 38,337 Adderall pills;
💊 1,675 grams of psilocybin mushrooms;
💊 1 kilogram of ketamine;
💊 880 grams of MDMA (ecstasy);
💊 five pounds of marijuana;
💊 332 Xanax pills; and
💊 42 oxycodone pills.

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Palisades Park woman, two others also charged

A woman from Palisades Park was arrested as well. Hannah Oh, 29, is charged with running a drug production facility and money laundering, both first-degree crimes. She also faces several offenses of intent to distribute and two firearms charges.

According to officials, two more Bergen County residents were arrested for helping to sell the drugs. Sung Sohn, 45, of Englewood Cliffs, and Benjamin Oser, 41, of Fort Lee, were both charged with first-degree intent to distribute cocaine and third-degree possession of cocaine.

The New Jersey State Police began investigating the drug operation earlier this year. Detectives said that on Jan. 14, they saw Joo give a large black duffel bag to another person in a car in Palisades Park. Police stopped the car in Paterson, searched it, and said they found 9 kilograms of cocaine.

Then, on Feb. 6, investigators said they saw Joo give multiple bags to Oser. They stopped Oser's car in Queens and reported finding 14 kilograms of cocaine. Later, police found that Joo had given a suitcase with 33 kilograms of cocaine to Sohn.

If convicted, Joo faces 25 years to life in prison.

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