Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Heroin Smuggled In The Furniture...Literally
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 15, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 15, 2003
Modified Mar 6, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Authorities found over $22 million of heroin molded into furniture in Queens:
This method of mixing the heroin with other chemicals is called starching, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown explained Monday.
It is done so as to disguise the heroin and then the heroin is reprocessed back into its full strength ... . In this case, its the first time that Ive seen it where the heroin is actually molded into furniture to find its way into this country.
The men used sanders to grind the molding a mixture of heroin and resin that was glued on bed headboards, baseboards, nightstands and other bedroom furniture into powder. The powder was transferred into buckets, mixed with chemicals that extract the impurities and then poured through filters into four 55-gallon drums, said Lt. William Waters, head of Queens Narcotics Major Crime squad.
Yeah, and heroin users would be injecting or snorting that. Gothamist may not be squeamish, but Jen sure is. Ewww.
Video from NY1
Tagged
crime
District
district attorney
gothamist
heroin
News: NYC
ny1
queens
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown
richard brown
video
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .