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In an unexpected blend of childhood nostalgia and crime, police have cracked down on a large-scale drug operation that used Pokemon-themed art cases to smuggle cocaine.
The Unlikely Mixture of Pokemon and Cocaine
The odd coupling of the popular kid’s franchise Pokemon and illicit drugs has caught the attention of law enforcement agencies.
In an intricate operation, drug traffickers combined these two diametrically opposed elements, resulting in a bizarre crime story.
Bristol County State Police Drug Task Force and the US Postal Service partnered to put an end to this illegal activity.
Their joint efforts led to the arrest of two men from New Bedford, following the delivery of a suspicious package to an apartment by an undercover postal inspector.
Arrests Made in Pokemon Art Case Drug Trafficking Operation
Once the undercover postal inspector had dropped off the package, one of the suspects, Darren Casado Ruiz, grabbed it and made a dash down the street.
He jumped into a waiting Jeep Renegade, oblivious that law enforcement officers were lying in wait.
Shortly after, the vehicle was pulled over and the two occupants, 19-year-old Angel Rodriguez and 20-year-old Ruiz, were apprehended.
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Cocaine Discovered Inside Pokemon Art Cases
A search warrant was subsequently executed, leading to the unboxing of the delivered package. Inside, authorities found two Pokemon art cases sealed with plastic, each containing a kilogram of cocaine.
Further investigations revealed a pattern. Five similar packages had been dispatched to the same apartment from Puerto Rico over the past two months.
District Attorney Quinn commended the collective effort of the involved agencies, saying, “I’m very pleased that this investigation led to the seizure of a significant amount of cocaine.
I would like to thank the various agencies for their cooperative effort, which resulted in these arrests.”
Pokemon and Drug Trafficking: A Bizarre History
Strikingly, this isn’t the first instance of an improbable overlap between Pokemon and drugs.
Last year, law enforcement found Pokemon Go and KFC-themed drugs following an attempted escape by a suspect who crashed into a police vehicle.
In another 2023 case, a man was caught dealing drugs while outdoors playing Pokemon Go.
This unusual blend of a beloved childhood franchise with illicit drug trade underscores the creativity of traffickers in their attempts to evade law enforcement.
It also highlights the challenges faced by authorities as they adapt to ever-evolving criminal tactics in their fight against the drug trade.GoodBad
