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K-9 Officer Rick Hernandez was working a seatbelt enforcement detail on Lemoine Avenue near the George Washington Bridge just before 11 o’clock last Sunday night when he “detected the odor of raw marijuana” coming from one of the cars, Police Chief Keith M. Bendul said early this evening.
The driver, 32-year-old Edwin Diaz, refused to consent to a search of the vehicle, Bendul said.
Hernandez deployed his partner, Greener, for a sniff around the car – and got an indication of contraband, the chief said.
Diaz’s car was seized while police obtained a search warrant.
Armed with the warrant a short time later, Hernandez and detectives popped the trunk and found the pot, the chief said.
They then drew up arrest warrants charging Diaz with marijuana possession with the intent to distribute the drug within 1,000 feet of a school and drug paraphernalia possession.
Diaz was taken to the Bergen County Jail after a municipal judge set $25,000 bail last night Bendul said.
For those wondering: A pound of pot in New York City can sell wholesale for anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 for low-to-average quality and much higher for more potent strains. Broken into ounces, or smaller quantities, can bring much larger illegal returns.
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