Prosecutor: Heroin Mill Found Near Times Square
NEW YORK (CBS 2/1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Police said Thursday they uncovered a heroin packaging mill during a major drug bust just bocks from Times Square.
The superintendent of the building, at 417 West 43rd St., showed CBS 2's Magee Hickey how police used a battering ram to open up the door and uncover what the special narcotics prosecutor calls a major heroin packaging mill.
Police video shows some of what undercover officers seized: close to 30 pounds of heroin worth more than $6.5 million, and 250,000 small glassine envelopes into which, investigators said, workers were busy packing drugs.
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1010 WINS reporter Al Jones reports
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WCBS 880 Reporter Irene Cornell gets details of the Times Square bust
The heroin mill had been in operation for just two weeks when, the prosecutor said, undercover cops saw something suspicious.
"They attempt to pick locations where they won't be noticed, either because there's some considerable traffic around the building, so that the comings and goings won't necessarily be noticed," Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said.
Brennan said some of the heroin was headed to smaller distributors for sale on the streets of Manhattan. Authorities said some packages were stamped with underground brand names such as "King Kong," or with "95 South," an apparent reference to Interstate 95.
"Clearly it was a trafficking organization," Brennan told 1010 WINS' Al Jones.
The mill was operating in a newly renovated first-floor duplex that rented for $3,800 a month. Neighbors said they had no idea.
"We were kind of clueless," Antonia Hinman said. "We didn't see anything suspicious activity before yesterday, I guess it was."
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