Three alleged drug traffickers are facing charges after federal investigators seized a large quantity of cocaine from UPS stores in New York City, according to Eyewitness News ABC7NY. Authorities displayed the haul, which the broadcaster reported amounts to about 30 kilograms, or roughly 66 pounds, of the drug.
The cocaine was seized from UPS store locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the station reported. Investigators put the street value of the seized narcotics at around $900,000, underscoring the scale of the operation that agents say they disrupted.
The three suspects are accused of trying to use the shipping company to move that $900,000 worth of cocaine into the city. According to the report, the scheme relied on UPS as a channel for the drugs rather than moving them directly by hand.
Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations said the alleged smugglers were using UPS to arrange interstate drug shipments. That detail points to a distribution effort that reached beyond New York, with the packages meant to travel across state lines before reaching the city.
To try to avoid detection, the alleged traffickers used fake identification when handling the shipments, according to Homeland Security. Investigators said the suspects also relied on surveillance in an effort to keep watch for law enforcement as they moved the packages.
Officials said the suspects had tried to stay a step ahead of investigators, but the effort ultimately failed and the three were caught. The seizure of 66 pounds of cocaine represents a significant interception for the agents who built the case.
The three alleged drug traffickers now face charges in connection with the seizure, though further details on the individuals were not released in the initial report. Homeland Security Investigations led the effort that ended with the cocaine off the streets and the suspects in custody.