Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Cocaine Found in Peppers in Queens Shop
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 9, 2009
Modified Mar 9, 2009
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
John Del Signore
Published Mar 9, 2009
Modified Mar 9, 2009
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
At least three shoppers discovered an unexpected surprise inside peppers purchased at a Queens store last night: bags of cocaine! It's a helluva drug, but instead of firing up the hot tub and talking about their unfinished screenplays until dawn, the unnamed individuals notified the NYPD, who went through the Ozone Park shop with K-9 units. A police source tells the Post that the store owners didn't know they were pushing peppers with a party inside, and it's believed they were imported from South America. The strange incident brings back memories of the infamous cold cuts and coke ring the NYPD busted in 2007; of course in that scenario buyers were knowingly purchasing cocaine with their deli meats at bodegas around town.
Tagged
cocaine
coke
deli
peppers
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
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 .