News

Drug smuggling bust at county jail

A 34-year-old inmate from Mastic Beach was arrested at the Suffolk jail in Riverside after corrections officers — with aid of drug-sniffing dogs — busted him hiding methadone and marijuana in red and black balloons in his cell, authorities.

Vincent Pucci is facing a slew of charges including promoting prison contraband, criminal possession of a controlled substance, officials announced in a press release titled “Balloons no cause for celebration” Friday.

“Ongoing security operations are integral in maintaining safety within our facilities,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco.

The cell scans came as part of an ongoing effort to keep newly admitted inmates from bringing drugs into the Route 24 correctional facility.