Four United Parcel Service Inc. workers have been arrested as part of a long-running investigation into how criminal organizations use the shipping giant to move narcotics into the U.S.
The UPS drivers and supervisors were among 11 people arrested in the Tucson, Ariz., area, over approximately the past two weeks, law-enforcement officials said. The individuals face a range of state charges, including drug smuggling and money laundering.
The investigation began two years ago after the Department of Homeland Security and the Tucson Police Department said they found evidence that drug-trafficking groups were using UPS workers. The operation moved bulk amounts of drugs to the eastern part of the country and large amounts of currency back to the Tucson area, officials said.
A UPS UPS, -1.10% spokesman said the company is aware of the arrests and is cooperating with law enforcement but declined to comment further. “We are not at liberty to discuss the details of the arrests as this is an ongoing investigation,” the spokesman said. Police said the UPS drivers and supervisors were allegedly using their knowledge of the company’s methods to defeat internal measures and law enforcement efforts to intercept parcels containing contraband.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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