Peninsula-Area Police Make Record-Setting Drug Bust

SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA -- Two Peninsula residents have been arrested in connection with what police say is not only the largest seizure ever of opium poppy seeds in the city of Mountain View, but one of the largest in the state of California.

The case originated in October 2016, when Mountain View detectives received a tip that Jasvir Singh, 34, was processing and selling opium poppy pods out of his home on the 200 block of Monroe Avenue in Mountain View. Singh, along with his wife, 45-year-old Donna Santo, were said to be importing large quantities of the poppy, known as papaver somniferum, from overseas.

The pair would then allegedly store the shipments in lockers and later grind the pods into a fine powder which would then be sold so that it could be brewed into a highly potent tea.

Over the next few months, Mountain View officers investigated the claims and on Tuesday, Jan. 31, detectives from the PD's Crime Suppression Unit, the Crimes Against Persons Unit and the Cyber Crime Unit served a search warrant at Singh’s home.

During the course of the search, detectives say they found roughly 50 pounds of opium poppy pods inside the home, along with over $30,000 in cash.

A second search warrant was also executed on the lockers that Singh had been using to store the shipments of the opium poppy pods, and in that search, detectives located nearly 4,000 pounds of opium poppy pods, a street value of $400,000.

“We’re all very proud of the outstanding detective work involved in putting together this long and complex investigation,” MVPD Capt. Chris Hsiung said. “We take great pride in proactively keeping our streets safe and preventing these drugs from reaching our community.”

Singh and Santo were subsequently arrested on charges of possession of controlled substances for sale, a felony, as well as for child endangerment. Both are currently being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Jail.

Image via Mountain View Police