Federal agents broke up a marijuana smuggling ring that moved high-grade British Columbia cannabis from Canada into Queens, arresting ten people and seizing more than 50,000 pounds (about 22.7 tonnes) of marijuana.[1][2] The suspects were arraigned in Brooklyn federal court on 21 February 2009 and ordered held without bail.[1]
The ring had run since 2003, using cars fitted with hidden compartments to carry the cannabis from the Akwesasne Reserve in Canada across the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation to a house on Penelope Avenue in Middle Village, Queens.[1][2][3] A routine traffic stop broke the case open when police pulled over alleged drug runner Mersim Kolenovic, who was driving on a suspended licence with nine pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.[1][2]
Prosecutors named Canadian David Sunday, 37, of Snye, Quebec, and American Randolf “Randy” Square, 44, of Hogansburg, New York, as the ringleaders and charged both with running a continuing criminal enterprise, a racketeering statute generally used against organized crime.[2][3] The eight other defendants were indicted on conspiracy and money-laundering charges for transporting, packaging and distributing the marijuana.[1][3]
A federal official put the street value of the seized cannabis at $150 million and called it one of the biggest pot busts in history.[2] Prosecutors said the pipeline moved about 50,000 pounds between January 2003 and January 2009 and netted about $100 million, and the investigation was continuing with more arrests possible.[3]
