Martinez arrested at Mobile station (GMaps)
May 8, 2017 By Jason Cohen
Drug enforcement officials busted a man in Jackson Heights Wednesday who possessed more that $2 million of cocaine, much of it concealed as wrapped candy.
Juan Pablo Martinez, a Jackson Heights resident, was caught with five kilograms of cocaine (12 lbs.), the majority of which was found in two hot-sealed bags where the cocaine was wrapped like pieces of candy, authorities said.
Martinez arrest was made in connection to an ongoing drug investigation by the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (DETF) Group T-41.
The task force was monitoring the corner of 77th Street and Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights Wednesday, when they saw Martinez exit 32-26 82nd Street at about 6 pm carrying a weighted black backpack.
Agents and officers followed Martinez as he climbed onto a bicycle and rode to a gas station located at 76-11 Northern Blvd., where he approached the driver of a grey Acura.
Police officers watched him place the backpack into the rear seat of the vehicle and pump the car with gas. Martinez then removed the backpack.
The police then moved in on Martinez who showed them what appeared to be a piece of candy that he pulled out of the backpack. However, upon examination, the police observed that the candy wrappers contained cocaine. Agents seized two kilograms of cocaine and placed him under arrest.
Immediately afterward, police searched Martinez’s residence, a basement apartment located at 3226 82nd Street, and recovered two more kilograms of cocaine packaged as candy, a kilogram of powdered cocaine, a kilo press, drug ledgers and $12,000 cash.
