YORK, Maine — Police arrested two people Friday evening suspected of bringing heroin into the state in unrelated cases.
According to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, investigators from the Sanford Police Department received information that Jorge Medina, 36, of Sanford would be traveling to Massachusetts to pick up a large amount of heroin. The heroin was to be later sold throughout the greater Sanford area.
Investigators contacted MDEA agents who began a surveillance of Medina. At approximately 6:30 p.m. Friday, agents observed a vehicle in which Medina was a passenger enter Maine from New Hampshire. Maine State Police troopers stopped the vehicle on the Maine Turnpike in York.
A state police drug canine alerted officers to the presence of drugs on Medina, according to MDEA. A search of Medina resulted in the seizure of approximately 32 grams (or 320 doses) of suspected heroin, four grams of crack cocaine and four grams of cocaine hydrochloride. The approximate street value of the seized drugs is $6,000.
Medina was arrested on a charge of aggravated trafficking in heroin and taken to the York County Jail in Alfred, where bail was set at $25,000 cash.
The driver of the vehicle was issued a traffic summons and released.
While agents and troopers were investigating Medina, assisting agents observed a vehicle traveling north from New Hampshire being driven by Leah Thurlow. Thurlow, 59, of Old Orchard Beach, had been arrested in early March after being stopped on the Maine Turnpike as she returned to Maine from Massachusetts with heroin, and she was on bail for that charge.
Troopers stopped Thurlow’s vehicle on the Maine Turnpike in York for agents to conduct a search as part of Thurlow’s bail agreement. A search of Thurlow’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 16 grams (or 160 doses) of suspected heroin. Thurlow was arrested on charges of aggravated trafficking in heroin and violating a condition of release and was taken to the York County Jail. No bail was set because she was charged with violating her previous bail.
The approximate street value of the seized heroin is $2,500.
MDEA said there is no connection between the of Medina and Thurlow.