Ten alleged members of a Staten Island chapter of the Bloods street gang were arrested on drugs and gun charges in an NYPD takedown this week, authorities said.
The suspects were all cuffed Thursday as more than 120 NYPD officers flooded Staten Island to make arrests in a nine-month investigation into heroin and gun crime in the borough, according to the city's special narcotics prosecutor.
“This case reveals an inextricable link between narcotics trafficking and violence in New York City and our response demonstrates our commitment to eradicating it," said Bridget Brennan, the city's special narcotics prosecutor.
Authorities said the 10 suspects arrested were all members of the WB Savages, a chapter of the Bloods street gang operating in the borough's West Brighton neighborhood.
Over the course of the investigation, undercover NYPD officers bought more than 2,000 envelopes of heroin, which had a street value of more than $20,000.
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Among the arrested were the two ringleaders of the gang, several drug runners and dealers and a suspect linked to a shooting stemming from a turf battle on Sept. 28.
Authorities said that the shooting, in front of Campbell Avenue, was captured on video. Later, the gunman talked about the violence in a recorded phone call saying "I started gonging at him... gong, gong, gong, gong, gong... he lucky he got away."
The suspects face multiple charges including conspiracy, drug possession, gun charges, assault and tampering with evidence.
