Dugan Arnett

But there was a moment when Richard did start to wonder, how was Oliveira doing all this? To stick with the baseball analogy?

But there was a moment when Richard did start to wonder, how was Oliveira doing all this? To stick with the baseball analogy?

The secret behind Paul Oliveira's unprecedented success comes into focus for Bobby Richard in the winter of 1997.

The secret behind Paul Oliveira's unprecedented success comes into focus for Bobby Richard in the winter of 1997.

The house is notorious, not far from the regional airport and the home base of a high-level Colombian drug dealer. Nobody, not even federal agents, have been able to penetrate this drug operation. But Oliveira, less than 18 months into his narcotics gig, has something no one else does. An informant with direct intel about the place, which Oliveira parlays into a search warrant.

The house is notorious, not far from the regional airport and the home base of a high-level Colombian drug dealer. Nobody, not even federal agents, have been able to penetrate this drug operation. But Oliveira, less than 18 months into his narcotics gig, has something no one else does. An informant with direct intel about the place, which Oliveira parlays into a search warrant.

The raid goes down on a brisk December day, a week before Christmas. We did it in the afternoon. I remember it was like noontime, one o'clock and all that stuff. The plan was to wait for the guy to leave the house. Oliveira's informant says the drugs are hidden in the kitchen, in the range hood above the stove. And lo and behold, we pulled it down. It was a half a kilo back there.

The raid goes down on a brisk December day, a week before Christmas. We did it in the afternoon. I remember it was like noontime, one o'clock and all that stuff. The plan was to wait for the guy to leave the house. Oliveira's informant says the drugs are hidden in the kitchen, in the range hood above the stove. And lo and behold, we pulled it down. It was a half a kilo back there.

We're talking 500 grams, half a kilo. Already a great hit, right? Yeah. News reports said the cocaine they found was extremely pure. A half a kilo of it could have been worth upwards of $100,000. We ended up wrapping up the raid and go back to the station. Everybody gets booked. Richard and his whole team feel good about how things worked out.

We're talking 500 grams, half a kilo. Already a great hit, right? Yeah. News reports said the cocaine they found was extremely pure. A half a kilo of it could have been worth upwards of $100,000. We ended up wrapping up the raid and go back to the station. Everybody gets booked. Richard and his whole team feel good about how things worked out.

They'd taken half a kilo of coke off the street and put a major dealer behind bars. I come in the next day and there's news media trucks out in front of the station. It was a good bust, but Richard is surprised by so much attention.

They'd taken half a kilo of coke off the street and put a major dealer behind bars. I come in the next day and there's news media trucks out in front of the station. It was a good bust, but Richard is surprised by so much attention.

So I go up to the office and the bosses are up there, the chief's up there. And in another room, bricks of cocaine are arranged on a large table, along with a nest of microphones.

So I go up to the office and the bosses are up there, the chief's up there. And in another room, bricks of cocaine are arranged on a large table, along with a nest of microphones.

I'm like, are you in here? Paul got four kilos in a case last night. He thinks, four kilos? When the raid ended, they'd only found half a kilo. He was there. He took part. Richard pulls Oliveira aside. I asked my sister, you know, so what happened? Oliveira tells him that after everyone left the scene that night, he got another call from his informant. There was more cocaine in the house.

I'm like, are you in here? Paul got four kilos in a case last night. He thinks, four kilos? When the raid ended, they'd only found half a kilo. He was there. He took part. Richard pulls Oliveira aside. I asked my sister, you know, so what happened? Oliveira tells him that after everyone left the scene that night, he got another call from his informant. There was more cocaine in the house.

The detectives had missed it. He said, well, it ended up that the kilos were up in the attic. The informant told Oliveira that he went up there to get the rest. And they bundled him up, put him in a garbage bag, and brought him down the end of the dead-end street and threw him in the woods. Oliveira then drove back to the house and found the drugs.

The detectives had missed it. He said, well, it ended up that the kilos were up in the attic. The informant told Oliveira that he went up there to get the rest. And they bundled him up, put him in a garbage bag, and brought him down the end of the dead-end street and threw him in the woods. Oliveira then drove back to the house and found the drugs.

And that's how this bust went from good to historic. Oliveira's informant delivered big time. The bust was a record haul for New Bedford police. But Richard says what most people didn't know is that Oliveira cut his informant in on the deal. In exchange for his help finding those extra kilos of coke, Oliveira let the informant keep a kilo for himself. Got a kilo.

And that's how this bust went from good to historic. Oliveira's informant delivered big time. The bust was a record haul for New Bedford police. But Richard says what most people didn't know is that Oliveira cut his informant in on the deal. In exchange for his help finding those extra kilos of coke, Oliveira let the informant keep a kilo for himself. Got a kilo.