A pair of Philadelphia men have been charged after police seized over 1,000 packets of fentanyl in a drug bust in Lehighton Wednesday afternoon.

Members of the Lehighton Borough Police Department assigned to the Carbon County Drug Task Force, working in collaboration with the Nesquehoning Police Department and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, arrested two men who were bringing narcotics into Lehighton.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Carbon County Drug Task Force coordinator, the investigation was established through various leads presented to narcotics officers over several days.

The information included that Timothy Ruffin, 31, and Jorge Peralta, 33, would be bringing between 65 to 70 bundles of fentanyl, containing up to 1,120 packets of the drug, in exchange for $4,500; and that they had traveled to Carbon County several times to do these drug exchanges.

On July 22, at approximately 4:46 p.m., the pair’s vehicle, a black Acura TLX, was observed in Skyline Park along North Third Street and an exchange between the pair and a confidential informant took place.

When police approached Ruffin to initiate the arrest, Ruffin was found to be in possession of $4,500 in prerecorded PA Office of Attorney General buy money.

He stated that he was in the area to purchase a motorcycle despite no motorcycles being present.

The driver of the Acura was identified as Peralta.

He told police, “I know I’m in trouble and I’m not getting out,” adding, “I was just helping a friend out.”

Peralta admitted that marijuana was located inside the vehicle and subsequently provided written consent to search the Acura.

During the consent search, investigators recovered the following:

• About 14 grams of marijuana.

• 22 live 9 mm cartridges.

• A bag containing rubber bands consistent with those commonly used to package fentanyl bundles, and about 160 packets of suspected fentanyl.

• Various pieces of drug paraphernalia.

Officers took Ruffin and Peralta into custody without incident.

In total, officers seized 1,057 bags of fentanyl from the buy, as well as the search of the vehicle.

Both Ruffin and Peralta were taken into custody and transported to the Lehighton Police Department.

Upon arrival, both individuals invoked their right to remain silent and declined to provide any further statements.

Ruffin faces charges on two counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, and one count each of conspiracy — manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, and criminal use of communication facility.

Peralta faces charges on two counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, and one count each of marijuana — small amount personal use, and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

They are both currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility, Ruffin in lieu of $100,000 monetary bail, and Peralta on $150,000 monetary bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Aug. 5 before District Judge Joseph D. Homanko Sr. of Weatherly.