SOMERVILLE, Mass. -- Somerville police said they arrested and charged four people following a large drug bust that netted one kilo of heroin.

NewsCenter 5's Steve Lacy reported that the four suspects appeared before a judge in Somerville District Court Friday morning. They were arrested Thursday night in what police called the largest heroin bust in Somerville's history. Officers said they confiscated enough of the drug to make 97,000 individual $5 packets.

The four were identified as Ricardo L. Gomez, 38, from Providence, R.I.; Fiorlenis Jiminez, 22, from Mattapan; Xiomara A. Ortiz, 43 from Jamaica Plain and Raymundo Baez, 31.

They were charged with trafficking heroin, drug violations in a school zone, conspiracy, carrying a firearm and ammunition without a license.

In addition to cash and weapons, police said they seized more than 800 grams of pure heroin, worth an estimated $100,000.

"After being cut several times and packaged it potentially could have a street value of about $500,000," Somerville Police Capt. Paul Upton said.

The arrests followed a six-month investigation that was aided by frustrated tipsters who live near the 49 Franklin St. address who were upset by what they saw happening in their neighborhood. They said they saw a lot of activity around the house and a large fence was erected.

"There was people coming in and out of the house. There were cars coming up. Obviously, a 7-foot fence around the property is a visual signal that something may not want to be seen," said a neighbor who remained anonymous.

Police said the arrests will be felt beyond Somerville, putting a dent in the drug business in the area.

The state is seeking $250,000 cash bail for each of the four suspects.