HYDE SQ.—Two women were charged with drug trafficking on Oct. 12 after police allegedly found cocaine hidden behind a motor-powered secret door in their Forbes Street apartment.
Miriam Machado-Soler, 24, and Juana Perez, 37, were arrested in a raid of 50 Forbes St. by federal agents and Boston and state police, according to the Boston Police Department (BPD).
During a search of the apartment, officers allegedly noticed a baseboard that was slightly ajar. The baseboard turned out to be a hidden compartment covered with a secret door, according to BPD.
Inside the compartment was a nylon bag containing bags of both rock and powder cocaine and two scales, according to BPD.
The two women were charged with trafficking Class B drugs within 1,000 feet of a school zone, referring to the nearby John F. Kennedy Elementary School. Perez was also wanted on an outstanding warrant on a previous drug trafficking charge and for fleeing before sentencing on a 2002 New York drug conviction, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Not guilty pleas were automatically entered for both women, according to the DA’s Office. They are slated to return to court on Nov. 10.
The raid included officers from BPD’s Drug Control Unit, the State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.