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Published on January 24, 2025
Four Suspects Indicted in Major Drug Trafficking Bust Originating from Flushing, QueensSource: Queens District Attorney's Office

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the indictment of four individuals involved in a significant drug trafficking operation based out of Flushing. As reported by the Queens District Attorney's Office, the culprits are facing charges including conspiracy, drug trafficking, among other crimes after a thorough investigation, named "Operation Frostbite", utilized undercover drug buys and electronic monitoring to crack the case.

DA Katz made it clear that drug peddlers operating in the boroughs are being targeted for comprehensive dismantling by her office, as detailed by the Queens District Attorney's Office. "Those who choose to peddle poison in Queens are on notice: my office will meticulously dismantle drug rings and take drugs off the streets," Katz was quoted saying. The four defendants—Xing Li, Kaiyu Huang, Quan Ni, and Raymond Nam—were caught following the execution of court-authorized search warrants.

In a coordinated effort between the Major Economic Crimes Bureau and the NYPD, significant amounts of narcotics were intercepted and seized. Xing Li, specifically, faces additional charges for operating as a major trafficker, which could result in a life sentence if convicted on the top count. The other defendants are looking at potential maximum prison terms ranging from three to ten years.

The defendants allegedly managed their operations in Queens and Manhattan. According, to the indictment and investigation reports from the Queens DA's Office, the individuals sold ketamine, cannabis, and MDMA from locations close to Raymond Nam’s residence in Flushing and Kaiyu Huang's in Manhattan. In total, undercover officers were able to make five buys of ketamine and MDMA between June 2023 and April 2024.

Subsequent searches conducted in July and October of 2024 led to the discovery of over 30 kilograms of ketamine, 600 grams of MDMA, and more than 100 pounds of cannabis, highlighting the extensive nature of the drug distribution network. The investigation was led by Detective Jose Ortiz with an ensemble of NYPD's Criminal Enterprise Investigations Section and Business Integrity Commission senior officers.

With the prosecution underway, the gravity of the drug problem in these boroughs is laid bare. Senior Assistant District Attorney Leann Staines of the District Attorney’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau is tasked with prosecuting the case under the vigilant oversight of various assistant DAs and Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Gerard Brave.