Crime & Safety
Rikers Island Smuggling Bust: 17 Arrested for Bringing in Drugs, Weapons
Two corrections officers and a staff member at the department of corrections were among the 17 arrested. The contraband was worth $17,000.
[Photo Credit: Russ Nelson via creative commons]
BRONX, NY — Seventeen people were arrested Thursday for their roles in a Rikers Island smuggling operation, officials from the Department of Investigation said.
Comm. Peters & BXDA Clark announce 17 arrests in joint contraband takedown at #Rikers - incl. two correction officers & a DOC staff member.
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Among the 17 arrested were two corrections officers and a staff member at the department of corrections, officials said. The contraband recovered during the bust included drugs and weapons that could have sold for $17,000 if it got inside Rikers, according to officials.
The arrests are a result of a crackdown to stop the flow of contraband into the prison. From July 1, 2015 to May 1 of this year, the amount of weapons seized in city jails increased 48 percent as a result of the crackdown, and the amount of drugs increased 32 percent reported The New York Daily News.
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Peters: These charged officers not only sold out their badges & honor, but the safety of their fellow officers. pic.twitter.com/rl8ijcjxLM
— NYC DOI Press Office (@DOINews) May 19, 2016
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