NEW BEDFORD — A yearlong investigation by local and federal agencies resulted in the arrest of a Fall River man connected to the illegal sale of drugs and firearms in New Bedford, authorities announced.
Benjamin Hunt, 26, was taken into custody on Aug. 28 and is facing multiple charges, including three counts of distribution of controlled substances and one count of transferring machine guns.
The collaborative effort between the New Bedford Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) unveiled Hunt’s operation of selling contraband through a cloud-based application.
Investigation leader Det. Kevin Barbosa of the New Bedford Police Department spearheaded the operation that led to the execution of several search warrants in both New Bedford and Fall River.
The raids recovered a significant cache of illicit items, including thousands of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine, 55 grams of suspected cocaine, three assault rifles, 39 “ghost gun” Glock-style pistols, three rifle silencers, 22 machine gun conversion devices, a 50-round drum magazine, 10 31-round extended magazines, and two 3D printers.
Ghost guns are firearms assembled from parts without serial numbers, making them difficult to track.
The conversion devices seized are used to illegally modify firearms into fully automatic weapons.
In a related arrest on July 7, Marcell Goncalves, 27, of New Bedford, was apprehended with a ghost gun identical to those found in Hunt’s possession.
New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira commended the investigative team, particularly Det.
Barbosa, for their efforts in removing a substantial amount of contraband from the streets.
Oliveira also emphasized the value of the strong partnership with the DEA and ATF in achieving this outcome.
Capt. Justin Kagan, who leads the narcotics and criminal investigation division, praised Det. Barbosa’s skill and dedication in dismantling Hunt’s operation, which distributed dangerous firearms and counterfeit pills containing deadly fentanyl disguised as pharmaceuticals, into the community.
