BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Update: For a year and a half the "Megabus" has offered people deals to travel to and from Burlington to other areas across the Northeast.
But police say it's become an easy way to get drugs into the area.
University of Vermont police say in the past five days three people have been arrested after getting off the bus from New York City.
"We've confiscated 1,400 bags of heroin, a thousand oxycodone pills," said UVM Police Captain
Shirley Colon and Desean Nisbette, both 21, were charged Monday with possessing drugs and on Thursday morning they arrested a 17-year-old female on trafficking charges.
UVM police, as well as federal authorities, are working on the investigation.
"It's all hands on deck," said Burlington Police Deputy Chief Andi Higbee.
Higbee says with fares as low as $1-dollar, Megabus is an extremely enticing offer to drug dealers.
"Easy and cheap way to get to Burlington and sell their product," said Higbee.
Higbee says the $70,000 dollars worth of drugs confiscated this week is most likely nothing compared to what has entered the area since the service began.
"Let's multiple that over several days, several weeks, over several months," said Higbee.
The bus stops in the middle of UVM's campus.
None of the people arrested were students, but school leaders say they're concerned about the situation.
"The potential is always there for that type of activity to lead to acts of violence," said UVM Spokesperson Enrique Corredera
Corredera says after this weeks arrests its considering asking "Megabus" to find a new location.
"Off campus all together," said Corredera.
But as long as the bus has a stop in Burlington police are going to continue their investigation.
"If you're here to peddle your dope, you're going to go to prison," said Higbee.
We reached out to Megabus for a comment, but our calls weren't returned.
Colon and Nisbett are due back in court next month.
The 17-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning.
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A low-cost bus service that travels from New York City to Burlington, Vt., has police on alert after recent drug arrests.
Fox44 & ABC22 News learned Thursday morning that several police agencies in the Burlington area have been investigating drug trafficking that has taken place over the last several months on the popular ‘Megabus' route between NYC and Burlington, Vt.
In the last five days, police say they've arrested three people on various drug charges, including heroin and cocaine trafficking.
The bus drop-off is located at the University of Vermont's Davis Center. None of the people arrested are UVM students.
Fox44 & ABC22's Nick Natario will have much more on this story, and how police are cracking down at 6 & 11 p.m. on ABC22, and at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Fox44.
