Lawsuit: Crime gang had 1,019 lbs of pot in Rockaway Twp.
The Morris County Prosecutor's Office has filed a lawsuit to take possession of a tractor trailer that allegedly was used by an Asian organized crime group to haul 1,019 pounds of marijuana, worth at least $1.5 million.
The complaint for forfeiture, filed this week in Superior Court, Morristown, by Assistant Prosecutor Alexis Keller, asks a judge to extinguish any property rights the owner or owners may have to a 2015 Volvo tractor trailer and a 2014 Wabash National trailer van, both registered in California.
The lawsuit states that beginning in 2013, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency began an investigation into an alleged Asian organized crime group believed to be operating out of New York City and engaged in the cross-country trafficking of large amounts of drugs, as well as money laundering.
In December, authorities acting with the New Jersey State Police/Street Gangs North Unit received information that a tractor trailer would be traveling through New Jersey to deliver suspected drugs to the East Coast.
"Information obtained by federal agents was that the subject tractor trailer contained a large amount of marijuana," the lawsuit said.
On Dec. 6, law enforcement officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection spotted the tractor trailer traveling east on Route 78 as it entered New Jersey from Pennsylvania. The same tractor trailer was observed as it parked near the rear of a warehouse in Rockaway Township, the lawsuit said.
The observations were made from a helicopter and were video-recorded. Surveillance units followed the tractor trailer to a warehouse in Rockaway Township and allegedly observed the driver -- later identified as Guoan Hu of Monterey Park, CA. -- opening the rear of the tractor trailer and unloading 23 boxes into a U-Haul truck. The boxes were put into the U-Haul by another male, identified as Chuan Lin, 40, of New York City, the lawsuit said.
Based upon observations and further information, the complaint said, Hu and the front seat passenger of the tractor trailer, Yongbin Kuang, 31, of Alhambra, CA, were arrested. Hu allegedly granted police verbal consent to search the truck, which contained multiple boxes and smelled of marijuana at its rear, the complaint said.
At the same time on Dec. 6, the U-Haul was stopped at an unspecified location as it was driven by Chuan Lin. Lin was arrested and a subsequent search of both the tractor trailer and U-Haul led to the seizure of 35 boxes containing a total of about 1,019 pounds of marijuana. Authorities said the narcotics, at a minimum, would sell for about $1,500 a pound.
At the warehouse, Hu advised police that he was waiting for another male to arrive in order to supply him with the remaining boxes of marijuana that were left in the tractor trailer after the U-Haul was loaded, the lawsuit said.
Guoan Hu, Yongbin Kuang and Chuan Lin -- all born in China -- were all charged with first-degree possession with intent to distribute over 25 pounds of marijuana, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 25 pounds of marijuana, and possession of marijuana. The tractor trailer that is the subject of the forfeiture lawsuit was seized and is in the custody of the State Police.
Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.