Authorities Bust Alleged Cigarette-Trafficking Ring
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Five Queens residents are under arrest after an illegal cigarette-trafficking ring was busted on Long Island Friday.
Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said the group bought hundreds of cases of untaxed cigarettes from an undercover agent.
More than 100 cases of cigarettes and nearly $1 million were seized during the year-long investigation.
Rice said the state lost $3 million in revenue because of the illegal sales.
The majority of the cartons were purchased at a warehouse in Garden City, Long Island before being sold to stores in Brooklyn and Queens.
The NYPD and the Queens District Attorney's office worked with the Long Island investigators to conduct the investigation.
Each suspect is charged with evasion of cigarette and tobacco product tax and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.