The nearly three dozen baggies of cocaine after a Roxbury man had swallowed them before his arrest by Canton Police.
Credit: Canton Police Department
Canton Police said they got “down and dirty” in their efforts to put an alleged drug dealer behind bars after he allegedly swallowed multiple baggies of cocaine.
Julio Angel Rivera, 45, of Roxbury, is expected to be arraigned from his hospital bed on Monday, according to Canton Police.
Police said that officers were conducting a drug investigation at about 5 p.m. Friday when they moved in to arrest Rivera after suspecting him of dealing drugs. When officers approached him, Rivera allegedly swallowed nearly three dozen baggies of cocaine before he was able to be handcuffed.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for the baggies and Rivera was taken to Norwood Hospital because police said he ingested a potentially lethal dose of cocaine should the bags break open during the digestive process.
“Rivera remained in custody in the Intensive Care Unit of Norwood Hospital where … detectives undertook the unpleasant task of successfully recovering the evidence after its journey through the digestive process,” Canton Police said.
Rivera was charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
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