24 arrested after police seize 4 kilos of heroin, fentanyl wrapped in lotto paper

HAUPPAUGE, Long Island (WABC) -- Two dozen people were arrested after police seized nearly 4 kilos of heroin and fentanyl on Long Island.

Officials found the narcotics at drug overdose scene locations in both Nassau and Suffolk County, wrapped in lotto ticket paper stamped with the words 'Aleve', 'Brooklyn', 'Brooklyn Bridge' or 'Clean Up'. . Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin.

The arrests come after a lengthy investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department, the Nassau Police Department and the Long Island Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.

"The arrests deliver a significant setback to one of the major suppliers of fentanyl in the metropolitan area," said Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota.

Investigators estimate the network delivered more than 3,000 bags of heroin/fentanyl (nearly one kilo) per week from New York City to Suffolk and Nassau County.

District Attorney Spota will be joined at the news conference by officials from the Long Island Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the Suffolk and Nassau County Police Departments.