Bath salt and synthetic cannabinoid arrest
On Thursday, August 11, 2011 the Stafford Township Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit executed two search warrants, one at The News Stand located at 25 South Main St and the second at the Exxon Gas station located at 555 Rt 72.
The Stafford Township Police Drug Enforcement Unit conducted several undercover buys of illegal drugs at both of locations over the course of the three month investigation. The undercover officers purchased Synthetic Cannabinoids and Bath Salts at these locations.
As of May 20, 2011 the State of New Jersey, the office of the Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety and the Division of Criminal Justice has added Synthetic Cannabinoids to the List of Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substances. On March 1, 2011, the Administration of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration issued an order temporarily placing five synthetic cannabinoids on the list of Schedule I substances under federal Controlled Substance Act.
Pursuant to New Jersey law, on April 1, 2011, 30 days after the federal action these five substances automatically became Schedule I controlled dangerous substances for the purpose of enforcement and prosecution under the New Jersey Comprehensive Drug Reform Act.
Two clerks were arrested and identified as the ones who sold the undercover officers the Synthetic Cannabinoids and Bath Salts. A Ritesh Kumar Patel, of Wildwood NJ, clerk at the News Stand and a Atul Garg of Edison NJ, clerk at the Exxon Gas station were taken into custody.
A search of both businesses uncovered 655 packages of Synthetic Cannabinoids and Bath Salts that were seized as evidence.
Patel and Garg were released on a criminal court summons pending a future appearance in Superior Court and additional charges are pending further investigation.
The Stafford Township Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit, Patrol and Detective Bureaus were assisted by the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office, the Ocean County Office of Weights and Measures, Barnegat Twp Police Narcotics Unit and the Ship Bottom Police Detective Bureau.
