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Camden County Authorities Bust Drug Ring, Arrest Leader

CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) - Police in Camden have arrested 15 people who were allegedly involved in what investigators are calling a major drug ring following a seven month investigation.

Among the suspects arrested was the alleged leader, 33-year-old Fernando Diaz-Rivera -- known on the street as "Gordo."

State Attorney General Christopher Porrino describes him as a bit of a phantom figure because he ran his operation from Puerto Rico:

"He, we believe, was directly responsible for a majority of the heroin and cocaine that was hitting this area in Camden and North Philadelphia."

In addition to making the arrests, authorities intercepted shipments of coke and heroin from Chicago and Puerto Rico with a street value of around $2-million.

Camden County Police Chief Scott Thompson believes that rounding up the head of the operation is akin to cutting the head off an octopus:

"Generally when we do these investigations you'll see one particular geographical location that we're able to highlight as an area of operation for these individuals. This is something that had tentacles that went to every neighborhood within the city of Camden."

"Gordo" faces numerous charges including life imprisonment for the ringleader offense.

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