The Jersey City Police surprised a local drug dealer Tuesday morning with what officials are calling the biggest dope bust in over a year.T he Jersey City Police surprised a local drug dealer Tuesday morning with what officials are calling the biggest dope bust in over a year. More than 15 pounds of marijuana were intercepted at 230 Fifth St. as police narcotics officers donned United Parcel Service uniforms to nab the suspect when he signed for a loaded package. “We received information from another agency that [the marijuana] was being shipped from Long Beach, California,” said Lt. Ken Teschlog, commander of the Jersey City Police Department’s Narcotics Division. Investigators were led to a UPS package that was suspected of containing a “controlled dangerous substance,” according to Teschlog. With trained dogs, the parcel – for which the police even had a shipping number – was singled out and followed to its Fifth Street destination. Officers disguised as UPS deliverymen made the bust when the suspect, identified by police officials as Michael Holder, attempted to sign for the cumbersome cardboard box. According to police, detective William Kallert, Sgt. Wally Wolfe, and officer Frank Rivera, all of the department’s narcotics unit, made the arrest sometime before noon on Tuesday. “We’re proud of the Jersey City Police Department,” said Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler. “The police have done great work here.” Inside the apartment, police detectives uncovered similar boxes – all of them empty – believed to have contained previous shipments of marijuana. Scales and other paraphernalia were also seized, as well as $750 in cash, leading police to believe that this was a long-running operation. “We don’t know for how long, at this point,” Teschlog said, while the suspect was being fingerprinted and booked. The suspect, Michael Holder, 32, was immediately arrested upon signing for the delivery. Police were still investigating the background of the supposed Bronx native, as a series of aliases were used on the previous mailings. According to police, Holder is charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute, intent to distribute within 100 feet of a school zone, and intent to distribute within 500 feet of the Villa Borinquen public housing complex. The suspect may also face federal charges that stem from transporting illegal drugs through the mail. Police described the parcel as one very large box packed inside another box and doused with pepper and perfume. Teschlog said that lacing the package is a common practice among drug dealers. Vinegar or other scented products are used to mask the smell of drugs that can be detected by trained police dogs. “In this case, I guess,” Teschlog said, “it didn’t work.” In the 15 pounds of marijuana, classified as a first-degree weight by the police, there was an estimated street value of upwards of $23,000.