Body Found in Presumpscot River
On Sunday, June 25th, around 3:00 p.m., police arrived at the banks of the Presumpscot River near the Riverside Golf Course to investigate a report of a body in the river. A man and a woman were floating on the river when they discovered the body and notified police.
Divers from the Portland Police Department removed the body from the river. The deceased appears to have been in the water for an extended period of time. At the time of print the remains were at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to be identified and a cause and manner of death determined.
Investigators ask anyone who has any information to call them at (207) 874-8575.
67 Grams of Fentanyl Seized in Arrest
On June 5th, at 3:52 p.m., Portland Police stopped Martin Benjamin (DOB: 1/1/85) for suspicion of illegal drug activity in the area of 55 Portland Street. A search revealed that Benjamin, a Portland resident, was in possession of 67 grams of fentanyl – a massive quantity. Police made the arrest and charged Benjamin with Aggravated Trafficking of Scheduled Drugs, Unlawful Possession of Scheduled W Drug, and Violating Conditions of Release.
Drug overdose statistics for January through May show an increase of 24.7 percent from 2022 (178) to 2023 (222). Despite the substantial increase, this number is significantly lower than the 89.4% increase seen from 2021 (94) to 2022 (178).
