16 gun traffickers were indicted in New York yesterday after two successful undercover NYPD investigations into gun trafficking in East Harlem. Over 100 illegal firearms were seized, including everything from handguns to assault rifles, and the bust is being touted as one of the biggest in Manhattan in the past five years. At a press conference, Mayor Bloomberg said "This investigation illustrates both the problem of illegal guns being purchased in other states and brought here illegally, and the skill and dedication of the NYPD officers who take the guns off the street often at great risk to themselves."
Over a 24 hour period, 13 suspects were arrested from various East Harlem crews, including 64-year-old Mickey Collins and 34-year-old Samson Taylor. There are three more suspects that have not been apprehended. Bloomberg, who was joined by NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, added that this is just a microcosm of the guns on New York's streets.
[via Gothamist]
