30 arrested in New York after Jamaican food truck found selling guns and drugs

A Jamaican food truck owner is among 30 people arrested and charged after it was discovered that food containers served by the truck came not just with Jamaican meals, but drugs and guns, according to law enforcement agents in New York.

Law enforcement said that food containers from The Real Spice food truck, situated just 150 feet from the courthouse in the city of Newburgh, in Orange County, Upstate New York, were used to package guns and drugs in one of the widest distribution of guns and drugs in Orange County.

Forty-two-year old Jamaican Kirkland Salmon, the owner of the food truck along with 29 other people were arrested and charged with narcotics, firearms and conspiracy offences.

Dubbed 'Operation Hot Lunch' some 40 different law enforcement agencies were involved in busting the operation following a six- month investigation.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovier, announced on May 21 that the operation had shut down one of the largest drug and guns distribution operations in Orange County.

He said that the operators made some three-million US dollars per year from the operation which was used to purchase real estate and invest in crypocurrency.

According to Hoovier, the guns came in from North Carolina while the drugs came from Florida.

The lawmen also seized several vehicles, along with the food truck.

The Real Spice food truck was at one time situated on Broadway in Newburgh across from the city centre which housed the offices of the mayor, but was relocated to a space in front of the court house.

A Jamaican businessman in the area told The Gleaner that he purchased meals from the food truck on several occasions unaware that guns and drugs were being distributed out of the truck.

“The food was not bad but I suspected that they were selling more than just food,” he said, asking that The Gleaner withhold his identity.

The charging document and filed statements made in court alleged that the investigation revealed that Salmon was at the centre of four different conspiracies to traffic narcotics and firearms throughout Orange County.

The documents and filed statement said that Salmon was supplied with quantities of cocaine by two different narcotics suppliers to distribute from his food truck. Salmon was also supplied with firearms to resell in Orange County.

During the enforcement operation, law enforcement agents recovered 24 firearms and one kilogram of cocaine.

On the day of the enforcement action, May 21, police additionally recovered over 11 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 90 grams of fentanyl, seven guns, high capacity magazines, numerous rounds of ammunition and approximately US$ 45,000 as well as scales and packaging materials used in narcotics trafficking and 10 vehicles used for distribution.

Some 40 law enforcement agencies, including the New York Police department, were involved in the operation to smash the gun and drug distribution network, according to Hoovier.

- Lester Hinds

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