Cops Find Ecstasy Mill In Passaic Co. Home After Citizen's Tip, Officials Say

HALEDON, NJ — After a resident tipped police off to an ecstasy-manufacturing operation in Haledon Borough, officials said they raided the operation and charged a man who had buckets of the drug in his bedroom.

Police executed a search warrant on Saturday, Feb. 10 at a residence within the 300 block of Haledon Avenue.

A search of occupant Santiago Zapata-Palomeque's bedroom uncovered two five-gallon buckets containing the drug 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, officials said — commonly known as MDMA, ecstasy, or Molly. Police seized manufacturing equipment and fake government ID papers from the residence, officials said.

Officers also found small quantities of cocaine and additional MDMA, said police in a news release.

Authorities charged Zapata-Palomeque, 23, with two first-degree crimes related to the lab bust: Maintaining a production facility for controlled dangerous substances (CDS), and possession and manufacturing schedule 1 CDS with the intent to distribute. He also faces a charge of possessing fraudulent government IDs, a fourth-degree crime.

Given the toxic nature of the chemicals used to make the drug, police called the Passaic County Hazmat Team, Haledon Board of Health, and Haledon Fire Department to secure the scene.

Zapata-Palomeque was taken to the Bergen County Jail.