A joint narcotics investigation that began in January ended with coordinated raids on March 30, leaving four people in custody and a sizable stash of drugs, guns and cash off the street, according to Middletown Township police.
Investigators say they recovered roughly 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills along with cocaine, psilocybin, marijuana, Xanax pills, three handguns and a pickup truck after serving search warrants at multiple locations in Philadelphia and New Jersey.
Searches, Seizures And Arrests
In a detailed post on Facebook, the Middletown Township Police Department said its Special Investigations Unit teamed up with the Pennsylvania State Police Southeast Strike Force to launch the probe in January. That work culminated in search warrants executed on March 30 at three residences in Philadelphia and one in New Jersey.
From those locations, officers reported seizing about 40 pounds of marijuana, roughly 950 grams of cocaine, about 200 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 141 Xanax pills, approximately 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills, three handguns, $31,044 in cash, multiple designer handbags and a 2021 Ford Raptor pickup truck, according to the department.
Police identified the four defendants as 52-year-old Tuan Ricca, 45-year-old Soksan Hao, 35-year-old Vo Minh Thu and 27-year-old Summer Kim. Bail was set at $250,000 for Ricca, $1,500,000 for Hao, $2,000,000 for Thu and $1,250,000 for Kim. All four were remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility, authorities said.
Multi-Agency Effort
The department said the operation pulled in a long list of partners, including DEA Group 23, Eastern Interdiction, the PSP Shield Team, narcotics K-9 units, PSP Aviation, PSP Troop K, the New Jersey State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
The PSP Southeast Strike Force, a regional unit that works large narcotics cases, frequently coordinates similar multiagency investigations, a role that has also been noted by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Fentanyl Threat Explained
Investigators highlighted the suspected fentanyl pills as a particular concern. Even tiny amounts of the synthetic opioid can be deadly. The DEA warns that about two milligrams can be a potentially lethal dose and that counterfeit pills can hide unpredictable quantities of fentanyl inside.
Authorities say that while any sizable seizure can chip away at local supply, the real issue with fentanyl is that even relatively small batches pose an outsized risk to the public.
Charges And Next Steps
According to the Middletown Township Police Department, Ricca has been charged with corrupt organizations along with multiple drug-related counts. Prosecutors will review the evidence and decide whether additional charges are appropriate in the case.
Pennsylvania’s corrupt organizations statute, 18 Pa.C.S. § 911, is patterned on racketeering laws and allows prosecutors to pursue broader conspiracy-style allegations tied to ongoing criminal conduct.
All four defendants are presumed innocent. They remain in custody while the courts and prosecutors handle arraignments and pretrial proceedings.
