Cops: NYC Drug Dealer Disguised His Coke Shipments With Minion Dolls
Happy birthday, kiddo. Here’s one of those Minion things you like, plus a little box stuffed with cocaine. What’s in the big one? Also cocaine.
According to a press release from the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Minions aren’t just good for pairing with unrelated slogans and posting to Facebook. They’re also handy for disguising a kilo of coke you shipped up from Puerto Rico.
Albert Fortosa, an allegedly high-level drug smuggler who distributed his product in Manhattan and Brooklyn nightclubs, apparently received his bulk shipments via USPS Express Mail packaged in birthday wrap and accessorized with popular kids’ toys—including the aforementioned Minions and Olaf the Snowman from Frozen. (Using a snowman to hide your blow? That’s a little on the nose.)
From the press release:
FORTOSA was arrested on July 2 at 230 West 111th St. as he accepted delivery of an express mail package that had the appearance of a child’s birthday gift, but actually concealed a kilogram of cocaine. The package was addressed to another individual. Inside was a gift bag with a stuffed toy Minion and two boxes covered in “happy birthday” wrapping paper. The gift wrapped boxes held the kilogram of cocaine.
Two similar packages, each with a kilogram of cocaine disguised as a child’s birthday gift, were intercepted that same day, and another two on June 15 and June 24. All four of these packages were seized by U.S. Postal inspectors prior to delivery. The kilograms of cocaine were placed inside wireless internet router boxes and the majority of the packages also contained a stuffed Olaf doll.
Fortosa allegedly moved $225,000 worth of cocaine in packages like these. Four other accused members of his drug ring were also arrested.
