A Drug Ring Smuggled Cocaine in Minions then Sold at Clubs in Bushwick
Minions, those ubiquitous animated creatures currently making their mark on pop culture via their very own film, seem to provide a pretty good cover for drug smuggling. At least that’s what one narcotics ring based out of Harlem and Brooklyn thought, as a few of its members were recently busted for smuggling $225,000 worth of cocaine from Puerto Rico by way of a few stuffed toys, including the popular minion.
Gothamist reports that the drug ring, which had members pushing narcotics in Bushwick, Boerum Hill, and at clubs across both Brooklyn and Manhattan, were arrested as part of a wiretap investigation that had been ongoing since September 2014.
The ring was busted after the NYPD’s Vice Squad bought more than $41,000 worth of their drugs throughout twenty undercover operations across Brooklyn and the Lower East Side, Gothamist reports.
Group members include Albert Fortosa and Joseph Owens of Harlem, and Daniel Reyes and Derek Santana of Brooklyn. Reyes is accused of running a drug delivery service in Buswhick, while Santana lives in Boreum Hill, and is accused of selling drugs across the city, with frequent stops made in Manhattan night clubs.
This isn’t the first time in recent months that a New York City drug outfit with a lucrative trade got caught for hiding cocaine in a crafty way. Last June, an estimated $12 million worth of cocaine-stuffed shrimp touched down at Redhook Harbor.
Minions however, seem like ideal instruments in aiding a prosperous drug operation. As per IMDB’s description of Minions, the creatures first evolved at the dawn of life on earth and have always partaken in dastardly deeds. Throughout the film, “Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters.”
Here’s a photo of the seized narcotics, including the Minion:
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