Record Breaking Fentanyl Bust
New York Post Article by Rebecca Rosenburg
September 18, 2017
Law enforcement agents seized a record haul of street-grade fentanyl from a Queens building — marking the largest such bust in New York City history, officials announced Monday.
NYPD and DEA agents recovered 64 kilograms of the lethal drug from a residential address in Kew Gardens on Aug. 1 as part of a broader pair of stings that netted $30 million worth of narcotics.
Overall, the busts netted nearly 270 pounds of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin, according to the city’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor.
Law enforcement agencies have sounded the alarm on the surge in fentanyl use across the city.
The potent opiate led to 1,374 deaths in 2016 – a 46 percent hike from the prior year.
“The sheer volume of fentanyl pouring into the city is shocking,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan in a statement.
“The city is used as a hub of regional distribution for a lethal substance that is taking thousands of lives throughout the Northeast,” the prosecutor added.
Four suspects – two from The Bronx and two from Queens – were arrested in connection with the stings, officials said.