12th drug suspect arrested in New Bedford’s Operation Ghost – News – southcoasttoday.com

Curt Brown @CurtBrown_SCT

NEW BEDFORD — A twelfth co-conspirator in Operation Ghost, a multi-police agency operation designed to dismantle a fentanyl trafficking network in Greater New Bedford, was arrested Thursday, court officials said.

David Luna, 37, of 124 Arlington St., Apartment 2 North, will be arraigned Friday on charges of trafficking in fentanyl and conspiracy to traffic in fentanyl, according to court officials.

Luna is a member of the Orlando Badillo Drug Trafficking Organization and is believed to be Badillo’s “most trusted drug runner,” according to court documents. Luna used two vehicles to operate his heroin/fentanyl delivery service — a gray Infiniti FX35 and a black Honda Pilot.

“He was observed engaging in suspected narcotics activity in both vehicles and investigators believe he alternated between two vehicles in order to avoid detection by law enforcement,” a state police detective said in an affidavit for a search warrant.

Badillo, 40, of New Bedford, the leader of the criminal conspiracy, is charged with trafficking fentanyl and conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, court records says. He is being held without bail for a dangerousness hearing May 9 in New Bedford District Court.

According to court documents, Badillo and Luna made arrangements to supply Joe Manuel Matias, 29, of Taunton with fentanyl on April 19, court records say. Police intercepted a phone call from Matias to Badillo saying he would need “something,” and Badillo said he would put Luna in touch with him.

Police conducted surveillance of Luna’s Honda Pilot and saw Matias enter and leave the vehicle at the Wendy’s parking lot in Fairhaven a short while later. Matias then got into a black Kia Optima and drove away.

State police stopped the Kia about 6:35 p.m. on April 19 at Shaw’s Plaza in Dartmouth and found about 50 grams of fentanyl in Matias’ pants, court records say. Matias is charged with trafficking fentanyl.

Investigators said they concluded Badillo and Luna conspired to deliver 50 grams of fentanyl to Matias prior to his arrest for trafficking, court records said.

On Tuesday, investigators executed 12 search warrants as part of Operation Ghost and one of them was at Luna’s apartment where police seized about 10 grams of fentanyl from a hair spray can with a false bottom on top of his dresser, court records say. Luna, described as one of the principal targets of the investigation, was not home when the warrant was executed and was apprehended Thursday.

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