Four charged in major New York ketamine drug trafficking bust dubbed ‘Operation Freeze’

Authorities seized hoards of ketamine, MDMA and illegal marijuana when they raided a drug lab in Queens and arrested the ringleader of the dangerous narcotics operation, prosecutors said Friday.

Xing Li, 40, who allegedly led the major trafficking scheme, was arrested along with three other accused drug traffickers on Thursday following a 16-month investigation dubbed “Operation Freeze,” the District Attorney’s Office said. from Queens.

The group, allegedly led by Li, of Flushing, sold and stored the dissociative anesthetic ketamine, MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and cannabis at various locations in Queens and Manhattan, according to prosecutors.

They were arrested through a series of purchases from undercover agents totaling $26,000 between June 2023 and April 2024, prosecutors alleged.

According to the district attorney’s office, two separate search warrants in July and October also led to the seizure of more than 30 kilograms of ketamine, 600 grams of MDMA and more than 100 pounds of cannabis.

The four suspects, including Quan Ni, 24, Raymond Nam, 36, of Flushing, and Kaiyu Huang, 36, of Manhattan, were charged with a number of charges, including conspiracy, sale and criminal possession of controlled substances and criminal possession of cannabis.

Li, the accused ringleader of the operation, faces an additional charge of operating as a major trafficker, according to court records.

“Those who choose to sell poison in Queens are on notice: my office will meticulously dismantle drug rings and get drugs off the streets,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.

Katz praised the NYPD and investigators from his office’s Major Economic Crimes Bureau for their role in the raid.

“I thank the members of my Major Economic Crimes Bureau and the New York Police Department for their work in bringing these people to justice. I also extend my deepest gratitude to the undercover agents who risked their safety to gather critical evidence in this case,” said Prosecutor Katz.

If convicted, Li faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

The other three defendants face between three and ten years in prison, if convicted.

The accused drug dealers are due back before Queens Supreme Criminal Court on February 7.