Beware of the Teddy Bear
Cartel busted for using stuffed animals to ship $30 million in drugs
By JENNIFER MILLMAN
Updated 3:36 PM EST, Sat, Jul 4, 2009
Sure, they're cute, cuddly, sweet and look great among the pillows on your child's bed, but teddy bears are also a really good spot to hide drugs – that is, until you get caught.
Federal officials netted a huge bust yesterday afternoon when they caught a huge Bronx drug cartel using brown teddy bears to smuggle more than $30 million in heroin back and forth across New York and New Jersey each week, according to The New York Post.
After a four-month investigation, Drug Enforcement Association authorities arrested 13 individuals and stormed five separate addresses; they caught 11 crooks loading heroin into Build-a-Bear stuffed animals when they raided 4254 Carpenter Avenue.
Feds said the heroin, which was branded Barack Obama, Swine Flu and Crime 360, was eventually going to be sold on the streets, according to the Post. Cops also found wrapped cubes of uncut heroin and clear packages to sell it in at the scene.
The DEA's kingpin was Yeffrey Alba, who feds say was shipping out 15-20 kilograms of heroin weekly to troops who would make sure it got where it needed to go.
Cops also seized $150,000 in cash. They said most of the drugs were stored at 505 W. 164th Street in Manhattan, the DEA said, according to the Post.
First Published: Jul 4, 2009 12:45 PM EST
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