Large drug bust in Gravesend nets cops kudos

A mega drug bust has earned two 62nd Precinct police officers Cop of the Month honors.

At the October 17 meeting of the 62nd Precinct Community Council, held at the station house, 1925 Bath Avenue, Sergeant Jeremy Berson and Police Office Frank Mallimo were feted for their recovery of a large amount of narcotics and the arrest of suspects in the wake of a drug deal in Gravesend, on West First Street near Quentin Road, on the afternoon of September 14.

Captain Anthony Longobardi, the precinct’s commanding officer, told council members that, around 2:30 p.m., Berson and Mallimo observed a man known as “Alex, acting nervously and pacing back and forth.” As they watched him, Longobardi said, a gray Maxima drove up and double-parked. Shortly thereafter, the duo witnessed Alex engage in a drug deal with the driver of the car, then enter the building he had been waiting in front of.

At this point, according to Longobardi, the pair of officers “stopped the Maxima and observed 10 glassines of heroin on the floor.” They arrested both people in the car and “secured the car at the precinct,” where they noticed “another bag protruding out of the armrest” of the vehicle.

At this point, Longobardi said, Berson “requested a Narcotics K9, which responded and indicated the presence of additional narcotics in the vehicle.” A warrant was obtained, and the subsequent search of the vehicle turned up 666 glassines of heroin, 20 Ziploc bags of cocaine, $1,170 in cash and six cell phones.