The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a forfeiture lawsuit to seize nearly $50,000 from a Paterson woman charged earlier this year with having more than 19,000 oxycodone pills and other drugs.

Lina Munoz-Cubillos was under surveillance by narcotics officers when police pulled over a taxi she was riding in May 11 in the area of 21st Avenue and East 21st Street in Paterson, according to court documents.

The taxi driver had disregarded a traffic signal and officers noticed that Munoz-Cubillos wasn’t wearing her seatbelt, according to the lawsuit, filed Aug. 1 in Superior Court of Passaic County.

Munoz-Cubillos granted permission for police to search a camouflage backpack she had with her, and inside they found 4,990 oxycodone pills and keys to a self-storage unit and her apartment, the suit states.

The investigators said Munoz-Cubillos granted them permission to search her home and the storage unit, the suit states.

In her bedroom, police found another 930 oxycodone pills, sandwich bags containing methamphetamine, a vacuum sealer, latex gloves, two scales, a fake New Jersey driver’s license and a phony Social Security card, the suit states.

Inside the Grand Street storage unit, which was rented in Munoz-Cubillos’ name, officers found 13,200 oxycodone pills, 3 pounds of marijuana, 10.55 ounces of cocaine, and multiple dryer sheets they said were used to mask the smell of drugs, according to the suit.

The officers also reported finding $49,480 cash stuffed inside shopping bags that were contained in a suitcase that had been locked in the storage unit, the lawsuit says.

In its lawsuit, the prosecutor’s office asks a judge to turn over the money to the state, claiming the large amount of cash was obtained through illegal activity.

It was not clear in court filings whether Munoz-Cubillos has an attorney representing her on the criminal and civil matters. Munoz-Cubillos has 35 days to respond to the complaint or forfeit the money, according to court documents.

Munoz-Cubillos has been charged with second-degree possession with intent to distribute 100 doses or more of prescription drugs and was ticketed for failure to wear a seatbelt, court records show.

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

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