New London — Police arrested a 30-year-old man Friday and removed three minor children from a Willetts Avenue home where they discovered narcotics and packaging material used to distribute narcotics.

Members of the police department’s VIS and Narcotics Division arrived at 49 Willetts Ave., Apt. 1, at 12:52 p.m. Friday to execute a search warrant. There, they found Marcelino Barretto, 30, and three minor children. Barretto had an active arrest warrant for second-degree failure to appear in court, police said.

With help from the state Department of Children and Families and members of the Drug Endangered Children Unit, the children were removed from the residence and placed with family members, police said. The DEC unit is a cooperative effort between law enforcement and child protection services to improve response time and the placement of children when law enforcement action occurs.

The investigation is continuing, and further arrests are expected.