Four alleged drug dealers from Philadelphia were arrested and a large amount of suspected heroin and crack cocaine was seized during a night patrol in Butler early this morning.

“The drugs we took off them have a street value of approximately $23,000,” Lt. James Hollobaugh said.

It also turned out that two of the suspects are felons and one recently served state prison time for drug trafficking, according to authorities and court records.

Charged with felony drug possession are Nafis Brown, 21; Mutatie Johnson, 24; Maleek Long, 24; Jakyle Young, 25.

The defendants were to be arraigned on charges this morning before being taken to Butler County Prison.

Out in his patrol vehicle abut 3 a.m., Hollobaugh noticed a man, who later was identified as Brown, walking on West Brady Street. Brown spotted the police car and immediately went into an apartment building.

“I could see him in the stairwell,” Hollobaugh said. “It was like he was hiding from me.”

The officer drove away, radioed to other patrol officers with a description of the suspect and circled back.

Hollobaugh and Patrolman David Villotti met up and soon began tracking fresh footprints in the snow, looking for Brown.

Not long after, Patrolman Nathan Shulik saw a man, who matched the suspect’s description, behind the wheel of a car, engine running, parked on North Jackson Street. The other three defendants were in the car.

Butler Township police and state police also were called to assist.

Shulik and the other city officers, all in separate vehicles, moved in almost simultaneously and stopped the suspects’ getaway in the car — a Volkswagen Jetta rental car that had Georgia license plates.

“They said they rented it out of the Philadelphia airport,” Villotti said.

“They all looked pretty nervous,” Hollobaugh said. “One guy (Long) was literally shaking,” Villotti noted.

The officers had never seen any of the suspects before.

Police said two of the defendants gave bogus names and all four continued to move their hands in and around their pockets.

Fearing the men could be armed, the officers searched them, one by one.

“They all had large amounts of packaged heroin and crack cocaine, hidden on them,” Hollobaugh said.

In all, 592 stamp bags of heroin, 305 bags of crack cocaine and $485 in currency were seized.

Police soon learned that at least three of the defendants had rap sheets.

Brown in 2013 was convicted of carrying a firearm without a permit, a felony, and was sentenced to a minimum of 18 months in prison, Philadelphia court records showed.

He also has three other felony drug convictions between 2010 and 2012.

Long’s convictions, all misdemeanors, are for possession of marijuana, drugged driving and theft in Philadelphia.

In 2010, Johnson was convicted in five separate felony drug cases, according to Luzerne County Court records. He was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison and served the minimum, minus time served.

Johnson admitted he had just recently been released. And, he added, before that term he served a four-year prison stint.

Villotti said Johnson also made another statement following his arrest: “I’m going away for a long time.”