Crime & Safety
Manchester Police, ATF, DEA Investigate Drugs, Weapons; Bedford Man Charged
A SWAT team hit a house in Manchester on Friday, leading to the arrest of Jose Rodriguez Grau and a seizure of weapons, drugs, and cash.
MANCHESTER, NH — The Manchester Police SWAT Team executed a high-risk search warrant on Friday on Central Street in Manchester as part of an ongoing investigation involving drugs and weapons.
SWAT surrounded a house at about 4 a.m. and made announcements over the loudspeaker of the Bearcat saying they were executing a search warrant for three people mentioned by name. The occupants were ordered to leave the house with their hands up, and several people exited the building. Some of the people exiting the building were placed in handcuffs; other adults and children were brought to a police van to provide shelter from the extreme cold.
One person remained in the building in a first-floor apartment and refused to come out. Police broke a window, flew a drone designed to fly inside the building, and located the person. Police forced entry and took the remaining person into custody.
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Police said Monday that this was a collaborative investigation conducted by the Manchester Police Department, ATF’s New Hampshire Violent Crime Task Force, and DEA's Manchester District Office Group 2.
The joint investigation centered on the possession of significant quantities of illegal drugs and firearms in furtherance of criminal activity.
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As a result of this investigation, Jose Rodriguez Grau, 32, of Bedford, was arrested, and a search warrant was issued for his residence and that of an associate.
During the search, several firearms, multiple kilograms of a substance believed to be cocaine, as well as a large amount of ammunition and US currency, were recovered.
Rodriguez Grau was charged with possession of a controlled drug (cocaine), possession of a controlled drug with intent to sell, controlled drug: prohibited acts, felonious use of a firearm, and felon in possession of a dangerous weapon. Police say this case remains under investigation.
It is unclear if any of these people removed from the house during the SWAT incident was Jose Rodriguez Grau.
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