NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WGN) — A Naperville man faces charges related to drug trafficking after U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigators intercepted a suspicious parcel containing 1,000 fentanyl tablets addressed to him.
Ahmad Dinah, 30, faces felony charges of trafficking a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver fentanyl, and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
Prosecutors in DuPage County allege that on Monday, Nov. 3, USPS intercepted a suspicious parcel at its Chicago facility, addressed to Dinah. A dog alerted postal inspectors to the package, which, authorities say, came from Anaheim, California.
A search warrant revealed that the package contained approximately 1,000 tablets, each containing fentanyl.
Days later, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, authorities delivered that same package to Dinah’s residence in the 1100 block of Iroquois Avenue in Naperville. Amid what authorities called a “controlled delivery,” police witnessed Dinah retrieve the package and return to his apartment.
Prosecutors allege that police placed a GPS device and a wire inside the packaging, which transmitted a signal to detectives when Dinah opened it.
Naperville police searched Dinah’s apartment shortly thereafter. A search revealed that Dinah had opened the package containing the fentanyl tablets and removed the drugs, which authorities say they later discovered on a sink, wrapped in transparent, air-sealed plastic.
Officers then arrested Dinah.
“The amount of fentanyl Mr. Dinah allegedly possessed is enough to kill entire cities, and I commend the Naperville Police Department for their outstanding, proactive efforts not only on this case, but for their steadfast commitment to ridding our communities of those who peddle this poison,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin.
“These tablets contained over 115 grams of fentanyl—115 grams of fentanyl can kill over 157,000 people. Who knows how many lives were saved, but I feel very confident in saying that keeping these tablets off the street absolutely saved lives in this county.”
A judge denied Dinah pre-trial release. He is due back in court on Friday, Nov. 21. If convicted, Dinah faces a sentence of 18-20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.