Sending drugs through the mail, not the best long-term drug smuggling method! A week after 35 pounds of coke was delivered (presumably mistakenly) to the United Nations, the DEA has started coming down on an allegedly mob-connected smuggling ring that used doormen in posh buildings to sign for their illicit deliveries. "It’s still an ongoing investigation—we’re still looking into it," a DEA agent told the Post. more ›

Drug dealers are reportedly giving up on lower class neighborhoods in favor of more up-and-coming hoods. Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan today tells the News that the city has "seen a pattern developing of heroin mills located in upscale and middle-class neighborhoods." And to prove that, one need look no further then Red Hook, which had something of a blast from the past last week when police raided a heroin mill on Van Brunt Street there and found a stash of heroin worth between $30,000-$50,000 (including 60 grams of pure uncut h). more ›

We knew there was a reason people think he's the best mayor this town's ever seen! Rudy Giuliani, who's been busy hosting AMC's Mob Week, visited Jimmy Fallon last night and waxed poetic about the good old days of the '80s, when he could just cruise up to Washington Heights and buy crack from his car, "like a McDonald's." Wait, what!? more ›

Bad news for those who just want to fill up the tub with some "Energizing Aromatherapy," relax and soak their aching dogs in healing vapors: the DEA raided stores across the city that offered illegal "bath salts." Both New York and New Jersey's health commissioner banned the drug this spring using their emergency powers, and in a press release [pdf] US attorney Preet Bharara says "'Bath salts'…have proven to be a public health and safety menace, with serious and sometimes deadly consequences." Ten people were arrested in the sting, which took $2 million dollars worth of "bath salts" off the street, and included tattoo stores in the East Village, Greenwich Village, and Brooklyn. more ›

In the wake of the gruesome Long Island pharmacy murders which saw four innocent people gunned down in a prescription drug robbery, Senator Chuck Schumer is seeking to restrict the number of painkillers doctors may prescribe and increase the penalties for those who steal them. "If the events of last week don't wake us up to the severity of the problem, I don't know what will," Schumer told reporters. "The problem is more serious these days than heroin, than crack, than methamphetamine." Prescription drug abuse has increased 400% in the last decade, and doctors wrote 48% more prescriptions for narcotics in 2009 than in 200, the Daily News reports. Pharmacy robberies have surged 81% since 2006. more ›

The feds have just busted a prescription drug distribution ring based in Staten Island. The Staten Island Advance reports that 10 people—eight from S.I. and two from New Jersey—allegedly "used forged scripts and doctor-shopping to supply themselves and lower-level dealers" and are accused of "conspiracy to distribute oxycodone." more ›

Careful with the booger sugar, kids—it could take your skin off. No, really. A large amount of the cocaine in the States is cut with the livestock dewormer levamisole, and now a new paper in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology says that same drug is starting to take the skin off of some patients in Los Angeles and New York. more ›

The DEA this week busted a $10 million-a-year indoor marijuana farm on Staten Island located in a nondescript auto garage thought to be abandoned by neighbors. Inside the garage, which seems to have been an active farm for three years, officials found 100 pounds of marijuana (or 450 mature pot plants) worth about $2.5 million. Two suspects have been arrested for farming the grow garage—Keith Levine, 33, and Michael Arroyo, 37, of Brooklyn and Staten Island, respectively. more ›

Thanks to a DEA tip, authorities busted two men bringing $3 million worth of cocaine in on a flight from Puerto. According to the Post, Emanuel Rojas and Israel Rodriguez had 92 pounds of coke in their suitcases. (And, yes, the Post had a "white Christmas" reference.) It's unclear if the cocaine was hidden in anything—a few years ago, some women tried sneaking coke in via clothing hangers and recently a man was found with six pounds of coke in a Wii exercise mat. more ›

With heroin flowing into the city at an alarming rate, Federal officials are warning the NYPD to be on the lookout for the drug. The Health Department says the number of city high schoolers who have tried heroin rose from 1.3% in 2007 to 2.6% in 2009, and now users have discovered it's even easier to snort when mixed with crushed up Tylenol PM—a highly-addictive combination called "cheese." Apparently the ridiculous name isn't enough to keep teens away. more ›

In a bit of law enforcement karma, Victor Alfaro-Marquez of Long Island was arrested for impersonating a police officer. Who was he arrested by? An actual police officer he had pulled over just hours before. more ›

Drug Enforcement Administration officials have seized a 100-foot stealth submarine in Ecuador, and though it was carrying 10-12 tons of cocaine, they're really impressed! Jay Bergman, Andean regional director for the DEA, told the AP, "It is the first fully functional, completely submersible submarine for transoceanic voyages that we have ever found..."this is in a new maritime drug-trafficking class of its own." It even had air conditioning! more ›

Feds have busted a Park Slope anesthesiologist accused of writing Adderall prescriptions for phony patients, who filled them and sold the study drug on the streets. The doctor, Michael Hosny Gabriel, may have used his profits to fund a gambling habit. He “carried large sums of cash to Atlantic City” one informant told the Feds, adding that the medical man kept a gun in his bedroom. And though Dr. Gabriel was the Adderall ring's kingpin, he had help: the Daily News says other doctors at his Brooklyn hospital are also implicated in the case. more ›

A Brooklyn actor is suing Spike TV for labeling him as a drug dealer — not an actor playing one on TV — in its reality show "DEA." Iban Hernandez, 32, says he had to move his family to a safe place after receiving threats from Newark gang members who saw an episode of the drug enforcement-themed program in which he is depicted as a real-life gang informant, not a thespian playing a role in a reenactment. more ›

The mystery of how Cameron Douglas's girlfriend actually thought it was a good idea to bring heroin to his meeting with The Man becomes a little bit less mysterious now. The Daily News reports that Douglas was under house arrest in his mom's $9.25M Upper East Side townhouse when girlfriend Kelly Sott (pictured) delivered a toothbrush filled with 19 bags of heroin. A private security guard was suspicious when he heard Douglas on the phone talking about the toothbrush, as he had just gotten one—so when Sott showed up he confiscated it and found the drugs. (Wonder what was in that first toothbrush!) The DEA later arrested Sott at the Hotel Gansevoort where she was staying; "they found heroin, crystal meth and marijuana in her room. She was held without bail after her arrest, and a federal magistrate ordered immediate treatment for heroin addiction and hypertension." Both Sott and Douglas were reportedly strung out when this occurred. more ›

Last night TMZ reported that Cameron Douglas (spawn of Michael) was arrested in NYC for "possession of methamphetamines with the intent to distribute." Indeed, the Post later reported that the 30-year-old was busted by a DEA task force at the Gansevoort Hotel—and it turned out he was holding around a half-a-pound of crystal meth. They also believe he already sold $18,000 worth (it goes for $80/gram). This isn't the first time Douglas has been busted, either; in 2007 he was charged "with felony possession of a controlled substance after cops found a syringe with liquid cocaine in a car he was in." more ›

Build-a-Bear has made a name for itself over the last decade by letting passers-by take a bird's eye view of the their bears getting stuffed inside workshops around the country. But yesterday police caught up with a group of criminals in The Bronx who have been filling up the teddy bears with bags of heroin over the last year right under their unsuspecting neighbors' noses. more ›

Drug Enforcement Agency agents arrested two bounty hunters in Washington Heights last night, charging them with possession of over 6 pounds of cocaine (street value: $300,000). NY1 reports that the two suspects, Chris Morel and Rensy Adrover, were arrested after being spotted as they put on "ballistics vests and police tactical gear. Investigators say they also had a stun gun, a dagger, bullet proof vests and handcuffs." DEA Officer Wilbert Plummer surmised, "I think they were using it as a cover. This way it would be a little more safe for them to travel through the city with drugs in the car. They didn't have it in a trap or compartment. They had it out actually inside a bag in plain view. [If stopped by cops] They could be en route to somewhere and law enforcement would just believe they were other law enforcement agents driving off somewhere." Morel and Adrover work for a bail enforcement firm in the Bronx; they will be arraigned on drug possession charges, which could bring up to 24 years in prison. more ›

DEA agents seized $3 million in marijuana and $500,000 cash in a raid on a Staten Island home last week, arresting Odede Kariti, 27, and his wife, Yotvat Kariti, 24, along with a third man, Brian Guariglia. According to court papers obtained by the Staten Island Advance, the trio are part of a drug ring that's smuggled millions of dollars of high-grade marijuana from Canada. Authorities have been investigating the ring for two years, and finally took action on May 11th after getting a tip that Guariglia was delivering a 300-pound shipment that day. The weed was stashed in "large hockey bags" in Guariglia's truck, and federal agents arrested him as he made the drop at the Karitis' house. Once inside, they also found "numerous" hockey bags containing another 250-300 pounds of marijuana. Now the Karitis and Guariglia face up to 40 years in prison for trying to distribute a mostly harmless plant whose worst side-effect is patch pants. This is the second major marijuana bust on Staten Island in the past few months; in April three men were nailed for moving "large quantities" of herb in a mobile-home. more ›

A New York Police sergeant admitted yesterday that he illegally used a city police computer to get registration information on two cars as a favor for a Long Island crack dealer. The cars were being used by DEA agents for surveillance on the dealer, Frank Wilson, who gave sergeant Roosevelt Green a pair of sneakers worth $20 and a discount on several other pairs in exchange for the information. Green, an 11-year police veteran, confessed to the misconduct and lying to DEA investigators when they questioned him about his relationship with Wilson. But Green's lawyer insists his client was unaware that Wilson was a drug dealer, telling Newsday that Wilson said he wanted the car ownership information because he suspected robbers were following him. Fortunately, the ownership information was false, to prevent the cars from being traced back to law enforcement. Green faces up to 5 years in prison and has agreed to quit the city police force. It's unclear if he gets to keep the sneakers. more ›

Federal prosecutors have charged an FDNY firefighter with maintaining a marijuana grow house—with 100 plants— in a rented Queens home's basement. Patrick Murray was "arraigned on charges of manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute." more ›

Nine people were arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine inside children's toy packaging. NY1 reports that "four kilograms of cocaine, four handguns, and more than $86,000" during the investigation. The suspects pleaded not guilty to charges including drug possession and money laundering; a prosecutor said, "We're investigating whether they were paid in cocaine." One employee worked in a check-cashing facility, and it's believed he laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars there, and the ringleader allegedly wired the money back to Puerto Rico. As for the smuggling, the DEA says kilos of coke were "concealed inside children’s toy tool boxes and large building toy container boxes" and then "the organization used United States Postal Service Express Mail to make deliveries to drop off addresses in Manhattan and the Bronx." more ›

A tractor trailer stopped in the Bronx turned out to be carrying $16 million in cocaine. Apparently $16 million in cocaine is equal to 400 pounds, as that's how much the authorities confiscated. more ›

A man died while trying to flee the dozens of federal agents who raided a heroin mill in a Castle Hill apartment. The man jumped from a 9th floor balcony to a 6th floor balcony, but "slammed his head against a sixth-floor railing." Two other women who tried to make the same jump were hospitalized. more ›

Two sergeants and a detective were arrested Friday after one was caught on tape providing information on surveillance vehicles to a drug dealer and the other two were caught supplying drugs and cash that they'd stolen from a supposed junkie and then returning it in exchange for information. Sgt. Roosevelt Green was a 12-year-veteran of the NYPD working out of the 62nd Precinct in Brooklyn, who was using a police laptop to run license plate IDs for drug dealer Frank (Big Banana) Wilson. The DEA was tapping Wilson's phone and overheard him discussing federal surveillance vehicles that Wilson suspected were rival dealers. Roosevelt, who was socially acquainted with Wilson (they worked out and played basketball together) accepted athletic gear and clothing in trade for the information. He could face up to ten years in prison. more ›

Last November American Gangster went head-to-head with Bee Movie at the box office, but now the film faces an off-screen battle. The NY Sun reports that Former DEA agents are suing NBC Universal for being falsely depicted on-screen. more ›

Rudy Giuliani's good financial fortune derived from the formation of Giuliani Partners is leading to political misfortune, as yet another piece of lucrative business he conducted in the private sector has come back to haunt his candidacy. Recently, his involvement with Purdue Pharma--the producers of the painkiller OxyContin--has come under scrutiny. more ›

An NYPD detective was arrested in the breaking up of a Bronx drug ring this week. The bust was comprehensive and prosecutors are alleging that officer James Calderon used his inside knowledge of police activities to enable crack and heroin dealers to operate with relative impunity. James Calderon was a 13-year veteran of the force, but is now being accused of acting as an agent for Jorge and Luis Mendoza, Bronx drug dealers who allegedly... more ›

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a picture displaying the woes of cruising in a tacky limo on the streets of San Francisco. more ›