Fall River Police Tout ‘Largest Drug Seizure in Department History’

State, federal, and city police executed a search warrant at 313 Sunset Hill in Fall River last Friday and seized more than three kilos of cocaine, nearly 55 grams of crack, loose fentanyl and fentanyl pills, a stun gun, and more than $9,000 in cash.

Milton Bertrand, 48, of 313 Sunset Hill, was placed under arrest as a result of the Dec. 4 search. Sunset Hill is a Fall River Housing Authority property.

“This is the largest drug seizure in department history," said Police Chief Jeffrey Cardoza in a statement.

The Fall River Police Department Vice and Intelligence Unit joined the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Commonwealth Interstate Narcotic Reduction Enforcement Team (CINRET), and a US Postal Service Inspector in executing the search.

According to a media release, a primary and subsequent investigation led to the following items being seized:

• Three kilos of cocaine, totaling 3,198 grams of suspected cocaine.
• $9,321.00 in U.S. currency
• 54.54 grams of suspected crack cocaine
• 25.72 grams of suspected cocaine
• A pill bottle containing 20 plastic bags of suspected fentanyl weighing a total of approximately 3.89 grams
• Two (2) black-colored digital scales
• 83.15 grams of pills containing compressed fentanyl
• A 400,000-volt stun gun

The cash located inside 313 Sunset Hill was entered into evidence, and will be held pending forfeiture proceedings, Fall River Police said.

Bertrand is charged with trafficking cocaine over 200 grams, trafficking a Class A drug over 36 grams, possession of a non-large-capacity firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

In his statement, Cardoza touted the city police department's working relationship with state and federal law enforcement agencies.

"We are fully committed to addressing gun violence and drug trafficking in our community," Cardoza said. "Our collaboration with the DEA, USPS, State Police, and the District Attorney’s Office will only get better as we look to identify those peddling poison in our city. I want to thank all the investigators that worked so diligently on this case.”