The Department of Justice announced a major drug bust after narcotics were discovered in ceramic plates, hollowed-out books and dolls.
Law enforcement seized 91 packages of meth, carrying nearly 200 kilos of the drugs.
“The defendants are engaged in the mailing and shipping of methamphetamine from Los Angeles County to New Zealand and Australia,” the DOJ said.
If the drugs were sold in New Zealand or Australia, they were valued at more than $20 million, according to law enforcement. Search warrants were served in three locations in the San Gabriel Valley where five people were arrested.
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The five arrested were “alleged members of an international drug trafficking ring based in the San Gabriel Valley,” the DOJ said in a statement.
The suspects were identified as:
- Yangqiang Chen, 45, of Monterey Park;
- Jie Chen, 40, of Rosemead;
- MeiMei Chen, 41, of Rosemead;
- Guorong He, 50 of Rosemead; and
- Yien He, 32, of Rosemead.
While conducting the search warrants, law enforcement said they also seized about 40 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $100,000 in cash, and more than 1,000 gift cards from various retailers.
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According to the DOJ, the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter.
