Among 7 people nabbed as S.I. traffickers

AN EX-NYPD COP found himself on the other side of the law Tuesday after authorities linked him to a heroin trafficking ring on Staten Island, officials said.

Steven Lanigan, 28, was busted along with six other people for selling the drug on the borough’s South Shore, officials said.

Besides being a former NYPD officer, Lanigan is the son of Gary Lanigan, commissioner of the New Jersey Correction Department, sources said.

The head of the drug trafficking ring, Anthony Olsovi, 45, was accused of selling more than 3,200 glassine containers of heroin — a street value of $20,000 — to undercover cops, according to court documents.

Six other men were also indicted.

Narcotics cops dubbed the investigation “Southern Comfort” and used wiretaps, surveillance and 16 undercover buys to build their case, officials said.

Lanigan took part in one undercover buy, officials said.

Most of the deals were conducted by Olsovi, court records show. The bulk of the narcotics were coming into the city from New Jersey.

The bust comes as Staten Island continues to be rattled by an opioid epidemic, officials said.

Across the city, 1,300 people died of drug overdoses last year — a record number, officials said.

Some 80% of those overdose deaths involved opioids, officials said.

Mayor de Blasio has vowed to cut drug deaths by 35% over the next five years, spending $38 million a year on a new push to combat opioid addiction.

Gary Lanigan has been New Jersey commissioner of correction since 2010. He was previously the budget director for the MTA and also worked for the city Department of Correction.