Five Queens men cuffed in opioid scheme
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Eight men, including five
from Queens, were arrested for
their alleged roles in a opioid
distribution ring, prosecutors
announced on Sept. 12.
The defendants were identified
as Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss,
46, of Richmond Hill; Harpreet
Singh, 28, of Plainview;
Parthiban Narayanasamy,
58, of Jamaica; Baljeet Singh,
29, of Richmond Hill; Deepak
Manchanda, 43, of Deer Park;
Gulab Gulab, 45, of Richmond
Hill; Mukul Chugh, 24, of Long
Island City; and Vikas M. Verma,
45, of Dix Hills. They face
charges related to conspiring
to possess with intent to distribute
a controlled substance
containing Tramadol, an opioid
typically prescribed to
treat pain.
If convicted, the defendant
Kamaldoss, who also faces
money laundering charges,
faces up to 25 years in prison.
The remaining defendants
each face up to five years
in prison.
“As alleged, the defendants
participated in a black market
for prescription medications
by distributing millions of opioid
pills in tens of thousands
of transactions in one year
Photo via Getty Images
alone,” stated United States Attorney
Richard P. Donoghue.
“This Office and our law enforcement
partners will continue
to vigorously investigate
and prosecute those who profit
from the suffering wrought
by opioid distribution in the
United States.”
According to the indictment,
since January 2018 law
enforcement agents with FDAOCI,
USPIS, HSI, CBP, DEA, FBI
and other agencies have been
investigating the large-scale
importation of misbranded
controlled substances from India
into the United States. The
investigation included looking
into importing Tramadol, a
synthetic opioid.
The defendants’ scheme allegedly
had distributors in India
ship misbranded Tramadol
and other drugs to individuals
and entities in the United
States through the U.S. mail
and other commercial couriers.
The group allegedly operated
primarily out of a warehouse
in Queens where they repackaged
the pills and mailed them
to customers throughout the
United States.
Charges say that the group
of defendants allegedly maintained
daily ledgers detailing
the names, addresses, pill
size and pill amounts ordered
by customers. During the
course of the investigation,
it’s alleged that the defendants
distributed millions of
Tramadol pills.
“The importation of mislabeled
drugs is both dangerous
and illegal,” stated FBI
Special Agent-in-Charge Todd
A. Wickerham. “It contributes
to the ongoing opioid crisis in
our nation and causes harm to
our communities.”
Reach reporter Emily Davenport
by email at edavenport@qns.
com or by phone at (718) 260-2576.
CS NYC app to improve crime solving efforts
BY BILL PARRY
The NYPD and the New
York City Police Foundation
unveiled an innovative new
Crime Stoppers mobile app on
Sept. 12 developed for community
members to anonymously
and securely submit tips to
NYPD investigators.
The app, CS-NYC, improves
crime solving by
serving as the catalyst for
real-time, more compelling
conversations with NYPD investigators,
while preserving
tipsters anonymity.
Available free for download
on Apple iOS and Android devices,
the mobile app introduces
another way for members
of the community to become
more engaged in keeping New
York City safe.
“The community is New
York City’s best crime fighting
resource and the mobile Crime
Stoppers app is our newest tool
to deepen our partnerships
with witnesses who provide
anonymous tips that help us
solve crimes,” NYPD Chief of
Detectives Dermot Shea said.
“For 35 years, Crime Stoppers
has engaged witnesses and
those knowledgeable of crimes
in their communities to help
the NYPD, and this new app
gives the public another opportunity
to have a vested interest
in helping to keep their
neighborhoods safe.”
The new mobile app allows
investigators to more easily
receive quality tips with attached
images, documents, and
videos. Other benefits include
the ability for the investigator
to engage in safe, private twoway
dialog with the tipster, a
brand new feature that was
previously impossible through
text messaging alone.
The New York City Police
Foundation, which supports
the Crime Stoppers program,
is investing resources to raise
awareness and increase adoption
and use of the mobile app.
“The Foundation is committed
to investing in programs
Photo via Twitter/@NYPDTips
like Crime Stoppers
that help the NYPD keep New
York City the safest big city in
America,” New York City Police
Foundation President and
CEO Susan Birnbaum said.
“The ew mobile app is just oneway
Crime Stoppers continues
to evolve to help solve crimes.
Just last year, thanks to a contribution
to the Foundation,
we unveiled a new Crime Stoppers
truck that projects the tip
hotline, website, and social media
channels on LED screens
and can update messaging in
real time as new information
becomes available.”
To download the app for
free, mobile device users can
search ‘NYPD Crime Stoppers’
in the Apple iTunes and
Google Play stores. Once a
used downloads the application,
they will have access to
many different features which
include submitting/updating
a tip, links to all social
media handles, wanted flyers,
and, if desired, the ability
to call the Crime Stoppers
hotline anonymously.
After choosing to submit a
tip, users can select from ten
different language options to
give the information.The app
is designed to be user-friendly
and quick from start to finish.
In addition to the app, community
members can continue
to provide tips by calling
1-800-577-TIPS, or submitting
through the website or social
media channels. Those
who submit tips that lead to
an arrest or an indictment
may be eligible for up to a
$2,500 cash reward.
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
TIMESLEDGER,4 SEPT. 20-26, 2019 QNS.COM
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