The cocaine in had hidden in two small fish tanks that had been sealed with wax.
HOLYOKE – Investigators seized 1,500 grams of cocaine Monday afternoon that had been hidden in two fish tanks and mailed to an address on Dwight Street from Puerto Rico.
Police arrested the alleged recipient of that package, Lissette T. Velez, of 1037 Dwight St., and charged her with trafficking cocaine (200-plus grams) and violation of a drug-free school zone (St. Paul School).
Lt. Michael J. Higgins said that police documents indicate that the seized cocaine was worth nearly $28,000.
The investigation began when postal inspectors told Holyoke police they had intercepted a package that they believed contained illegal narcotics.
After receiving a search warrant, the postal inspectors opened the package and discovered two small fish tanks contained cocaine and had been sealed with wax.
When investigators delivered the package to 1037 Dwight St., Velez signed for the package and took control of it, Higgins said.
Participating in the arrest were: Holyoke narcotics officers, members of the FBI’s gang task force, state police and federal investigators.
Arraignment information for Velez was not immediately available.
Investigators made a similar arrest last year when they seized $100,000 worth of cocaine that had been hidden inside a hollowed-out hunk of bologna and mailed to an Essex Street address from Puerto Rico.