Cunning NY Drug Dealers Disguised Themselves As Uber Drivers: Police

Law enforcement authorities say that drug dealers in the Bronx and Manhattan disguised themselves as Uber drivers to avoid detection while waiting for customers, according to the New York Post.

The Post, citing police, reports that four people were arrested on Tuesday for using the phony digs in their cars in the attempt to keep cops from noticing them as they sling cocaine and heroin."

The drivers used fake logos and stickers to avoid suspicion, the Post reports, but cops busted the ring of drivers in what they're calling Operation "Uber Connect," a more tame branding of an Uber enterprise, compared to the company's actual codenames for projects.

Here's more, from NBC's affiliate in New York:

As part of the operation, the six suspects placed fake Uber logos and stickers on vehicles to fit into the neighborhoods and not raise suspicions, according to sources. Heroin and cocaine were sold to more than 100 customers in upper Manhattan and the Bronx, the sources said.

The dealers weren't drivers for Uber and it appears they didn't use the Uber app, but they did utilize the company's logo to disguise their vehicles while making deliveries, sources said.

The NBC affiliate reported that the NYPD, New York State Police, the DEA, Homeland Security, and eight other goddamn agencies assisted in the year-long investigation into the fake Uber driving drug dealers. I'm inclined to believe this isn't... an unusual thing.

We reached out to Uber for comment and will update the story if we hear back.

Update: A spokesperson for Uber sent along the follow statement:

"Misrepresenting an affiliation with a company to commit a crime is not acceptable. We are thankful for law enforcement's efforts to combat these crimes."