Two Men Arrested in Connection to Plastic Theft Ring
Detectives from the New Jersey State Police Interstate Theft North Unit arrested two New Yorkers: Yih Tan, 38 and Rong Wu, 41 for running a theft ring that sold robbed plastics overseas.
A long investigation uncovered that multiple individuals and groups would steal plastic storage and transportation containers, commonly used by pharmaceutical retailers, bakeries, and food distributors. Later they would take the stolen plastics to the recycling facility where Wu and Tan would buy them. It is believed that these individuals would then use the earnings from the dealings to purchase drugs for private use. At the facility, Tan and Wu would cut up the plastics into small pieces. The grinds were then sold and sent to China where businesses would use the material for their production. Undercover Agents were able to sell plastic to the facility with no questions asked.
Detectives searched the Bayonne facility on November 2nd and seized over 45,000 pounds of grinds valued at an estimated $67K. Detectives also seized more than $20K in cash and other things associated with the investigation. It took detectives many long days to sort through the proof.
Yih Tan and Rong Wu were charged with receiving stolen property and fencing. They have been freed awaiting a court appearance.
The case was investigated by detectives from the New Jersey State Police Interstate Theft North Unit, Trafficking North Unit, Gangs and Organized Crime North Unit, Official Corruption North Unit, Cyber Crimes Unit, and The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. The case will be prosecuted by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
