drug-related currency and a .38-caliber handgun.
Police estimated the street value of the narcotics at $5,600, and said the arrests should put a considerable dent in the drug traffic at 25th and Wainwright Streets.
The suspected drug house was under surveillance for four weeks after police received information that drugs were possibly being manufactured and distributed from that household, Keegan said.
Arrested were Nassar Perez, 20, of the 300 block of Boyd Street; Johnny Rodriquez, 19, and Leon Torres 3d, 18, both of whom live in the 1400 block of North Chesapeake Road.
Perez is believed to have lived part time at the 25th Street address, police said.
"They were operating a crack factory," said a source familiar with the investigation. "They were making the powdered cocaine into crack there and then selling it on the corner. They were getting ready for the first of the month to have the corner set up and make a lot of money."
One of the three suspects was found in the front upstairs bedroom cooking the cocaine before packaging it as crack, police said. The other two suspects ran upstairs and down to the basement when the police arrived.
All three men were charged with one count each of drug possession with intent to distribute over five ounces of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school zone; operating a drug manufacturing facility; unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of under a half-ounce of heroin, police said.
They were being held last night in Camden County Jail after failing to post $500,000 cash bail each.
