New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on March 26 the arrest and indictment of a New Jersey man accused of selling fentanyl and cocaine in Brooklyn, in a takedown her office said seized more than 8,887 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and over 891 grams of cocaine.
James identified the defendant as Azer Arslanouk, 36, of Ocean Township, New Jersey. According to the attorney general’s office, an investigation led by the office’s Organized Crime Task Force seized the pills and cocaine, drugs the office valued at approximately $100,000. The office said the indictment was unsealed the same day in Kings County Supreme Court and charges Arslanouk with 31 crimes for trafficking narcotics. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, according to the office.
“Drug traffickers who hide fentanyl in counterfeit prescription drugs are putting New Yorkers suffering from opioid addiction in grave danger,” James said in a statement. “This investigation took thousands of deadly pills off the street, and my office will continue fighting to stop the opioid crisis in our communities. I thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration as we work to keep New Yorkers safe from dangerous narcotics.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, whose agency assisted in the case, said in a statement that the trafficking threatened neighborhood safety. “The sale of these illegal drugs perpetuates a cycle of substance abuse and poses a significant threat to safety and quality of life in our neighborhoods,” he said, adding that the arrest reflected coordination between the agencies involved.
The charges are allegations, and the attorney general’s office did not announce a conviction. The office published the indictment in New York v. Azer Arslanouk alongside its announcement.
