After a four month investigation by the Narcotics Field Unit, police raided a home they say was a haven for heroin activity.
Police say they confiscated heroin had a street value in excess of $1.3 million.
"Looks like one of the biggest distribution centers I've seen in my career in narcotics," Captain Debra Frazier of the Narcotics Field Unit said.
Police see the operation was hi-tech, complete with industrial size hydraulic equipment to compress the heroin into so-called racks, which can then be easily distributed to dealers across the city.
But what amazed veteran narcotics officers the most were the ingenious hidden compartments built into pieces of furniture to hide the drugs and even a hidden room behind a moving magnetic wall.
The five people face a whole slew of drug and weapons offenses, but they're thinking of handing the case over to the federal authorities, so they can get more serious prison time upon conviction.
You can get the latest crime statistics from the Philadelphia Police by CLICKING HERE for the force's crime data mapping site.
