A Paterson man was arrested Monday after police say they caught him selling drugs including bags of heroin each labeled “Corona Virus.”

An officer in his patrol car said he saw two men exchanging money and a green plastic vial about 10:30 p.m. in the area of Godwin Avenue and Auburn Street. The accused dealer ran as the officer approached and dropped a bag of heroin with the “Corona Virus” stamp, city Police Director Jerry Speziale said in an email.

Police later arrested the 53-year-old man following a brief struggle in a nearby alley and found two more bags with the “Corona Virus” stamp, Speziale said. The man faces multiple drug charges.

“While we work feverishly to stop the spread of this virus, we are also working to stop the spread of drugs in Paterson,” Mayor Andre Sayegh said in an email. “Our police department is performing at a very high level during this crisis.”

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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