On Friday (January 24), in Flushing, New York, a Chinese drug trafficking ring was finally prosecuted after a long investigation, with four Chinese suspects facing a series of charges. An investigation named “Operation Frostbite” uncovered multiple drug trades.
According to the information from the Queens District Attorney’s office, four Chinese residents in Flushing – Xing Li, 40 years old, Kaiyu Huang, 36 years old, Quan Ni, 24 years old, and Raymond Nam, 36 years old – were arrested following the execution of a search warrant by law enforcement authorities and charged with 19 counts, including conspiracy, illegal sale of controlled substances, illegal possession of controlled substances, and illegal possession of marijuana; with Xing Li being additionally charged as the main offender.
Based on the indictment and investigation results, this drug trafficking ring was involved in selling and storing ketamine, cannabis, and MDMA in various locations in Queens and Manhattan.
Between June 2023 and April 2024, undercover police officers and the defendants conducted 5 transactions of ketamine and MDMA, with a total value exceeding $26,000.
On July 17, 2024, and October 23, 2024, police executed search warrants at two different locations, seizing over 30 kilograms of ketamine, 600 grams of MDMA, and over 100 pounds of marijuana.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated in a press release, “Those who traffic drugs in Queens should be warned: my office will rigorously dismantle drug cartels and rid the streets of drugs.”
Judge John Zoll of the Queens New York State Supreme Court ordered the defendants to return to court for trial on February 7. If convicted, the main offender could face 15 years to life imprisonment, while the other defendants could face a maximum of 3 to 10 years in prison.