Police raid yields drugs, guns, cash

Crediting tips from citizens who have had enough of crime, Philadelphia police yesterday showed off an impressive heap of illicit drugs, guns and money gathered from across the city in just one day, along with a new way drug dealers are hiding cocaine.

Chief Inspector Teri Clark of the police narcotics bureau stood behind a table bearing what she said were $400,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana, $80,000 in cash, and 15 weapons, including 10 handguns and an AK-47 "pitched out a window" during a police raid.

"Here's what's possible when we work with the community," said Capt. Debra Frazier of the narcotics bureau.

Frazier also displayed a kilogram of powder cocaine packed in flat sheets about the size of typing paper and about three-quarters of an inch thick. She said her department had never seen that before and speculated the sheets were packed inside books or envelopes to avoid suspicion.

The officers said all the weapons would be tested to determine if they had been used in crimes.

Clark said the exceptionally large seizure of illicit goods in one day was not the result of some new departmental approach to street crime, but rather the by-product of "citizen cooperation."

"We need tips," she said.

Clark also credited the cooperation of various units within the Police Department.