More Than $2M Worth of Cocaine Seized From Andover Man's Vehicle

A regional drug task force snatched 48 kilos (over 100 pounds) of cocaine, with a street value of more than $2 million, Friday afternoon and took it off the streets for good.

The Essex County Drug Task Force seized the cocaine from a motor vehicle and arrested the driver, an Andover resident, in connection with the large drug supply.

The arrested and seizure was the result of a three-month long investigation into the alleged drug trafficker charged in the incident.

On Friday, April 5, at approximately 1 p.m., police stopped Andover resident Jose Martinez, 51, of 123 Chestnut St., on Interstate 495 northbound. The stop took place just North of the Route 133 (Andover Street) exit.

Police eventually searched the vehicle and found 48 kilos of cocaine in Martinez's Dodge Durango.

Martinez was charged with trafficking cocaine and he will be arraigned in Lawrence District Court on Monday morning.

“This investigation and arrest has taken a large quantity of drugs off the street,” District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said.  “I commend the hard work and diligence of the detectives involved.”