The Office of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force investigation culminated in Arslanouk's indictment on 31 drug trafficking charges unsealed March 26, 2026, in Kings County Court. The charges include various counts of Criminal Sale and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, class A and B felonies, and conspiracy to commit those crimes. If convicted, Arslanouk faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
"Drug traffickers who hide fentanyl in counterfeit prescription drugs are putting New Yorkers suffering from opioid addiction in grave danger," said Attorney General James. "This investigation took thousands of deadly pills off the street, and my office will continue fighting to stop the opioid crisis in our communities." The investigation revealed that from December 2024 to January 2025, Arslanouk engaged in four separate drug sales, storing and selling cocaine and fentanyl pills out of a storefront at 9 Lake Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn.
The 30-month investigation employed extensive surveillance techniques including hundreds of hours of physical surveillance, court-authorized cellphone GPS information, covert cameras, and undercover operations. Investigators discovered that Arslanouk used encrypted messaging apps to communicate with buyers about his narcotics sales. The search of the Lake Street storefront yielded the massive drug seizure across four separate operations, with individual seizures ranging from 422 to 1,027 counterfeit pills and cocaine amounts from 97.6 to 247.8 grams.
The case represents part of ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis, particularly the growing threat of counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl. "Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl continue to be a lethal threat to those unsuspecting users who think they are taking a legitimate pharmaceutical pill," said Drug Enforcement Administration New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. "This operation, which included the removal of over 8,500 fentanyl pills off our streets, undoubtedly saved lives."
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James emphasized the collaborative nature of the investigation, stating: "The sale of these illegal drugs perpetuates a cycle of substance abuse and poses a significant threat to safety and quality of life in our neighborhoods. This arrest speaks volumes of the tremendous coordination between law enforcement partners to stop the individuals that fuel these dangerous acts."
The investigation was conducted with assistance from the Special Investigations Unit and Social Investigations Unit of the New York State Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Kings County District Attorney's office. The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney Generals James P. Cudden and Michelle Kiley under the supervision of Downstate Deputy Bureau Chief Lauren Abinanti.
The indictment was unsealed before Kings County Supreme Court Judge Danny Chun, with the charges representing accusations against a defendant presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial or by plea. The seizure value of approximately $100,000 reflects the significant street-level impact of removing these dangerous substances from circulation in Brooklyn neighborhoods.