$3M worth of heroin seized in another huge find at I-78 weigh station

I-78 weigh station in Greenwich Township

A truck pulls into the weigh station on I-78 East in Greenwich Township in 2007. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo)

Just days after finding a few hundred thousand dollars worth of marijuana during a highway inspection in Warren County, New Jersey State Police say they have uncovered an even bigger haul.

On Sunday, $2.8 million worth of heroin was found inside a tractor-trailer at the Interstate 78 weigh station in Greenwich Township, state police said in a Facebook post that congratulated troopers with the hashtag #Attaboy.

"Heroin is poison, plain and simple," state police said in the post. "These troopers just prevented $2.8 million in poison from hitting our streets! That's a lot of poison."

The inspection allegedly revealed 36 kilograms of the drug. Oscar Franco, 58, of Chula Vista, Calif., miles from southern California's border with Mexico, is charged with possession of heroin and possession with intent to distribute.

Franco was sent to the Warren County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail, according to court documents. A condition of his release includes the surrendering of his passport.

On Aug. 9, 52-year-old Eric T. Shan of Baldwin Park, Calif., was charged after troopers at the same station allegedly found 54 pounds of marijuana -- $324,000 worth -- inside two boxes in a trailer.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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