Marijuana and heroin were found at the deli's counter and in the back room, officials said Tuesday.
NEWARK -- Three city men were arraigned Tuesday on charges that they were operating an illicit drug business out of a deli, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced.
Following a task force investigation into alleged drug trafficking on 16th Avenue, investigators executed a search warrant at the Fairmount Deli Monday morning, Fontoura said.
At the deli's front counter, detectives found 18 plastic bags filled with marijuana, and in the storage room, 138 heroin-filled glassine envelopes and 146 grams of marijuana hidden above tiles in the drop ceiling, authorities said.
Deli manager Kelvin Garnes, 52, and two cousins Kevin and Hakir Green, both 24, were arrested on various drug charges, authorities said. All three men, who are from Newark, are being held at the Essex County jail, officials said. Garnes is being held on $75,000 bail, and the Green cousins on $50,000 bail each, authorities said.
The findings of the investigation were forwarded to the Newark police, who will decide what, if any, sanctions will be placed against the deli, a sheriff's office spokesman said.
The drug task force was made up of detectives from the Essex County Sheriff's Office, and police officers from Bloomfield and Irvington.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook