Sunday, June 23, 2002

Hook 'em Horns! The Austin American-Statesman reports that
The eggroll carts on The Drag near the University of Texas have been an Austin institution since the 1970s. Police say that for at least the last three years, they've also been a front for a major fencing operation.

According to police, members of the Pham and Dao families would buy anything from stolen fishing rods to DVD players to T-shirts. They stored the items in the eggroll carts before moving them along. The family also peddled prescription pills, such as Valium, police said.

Working off several tips, undercover officers, posing as shoplifters and thieves, sold VCRs and other items to the vendors.

When they searched their home, officers found $200,000 worth of stolen items, as well as $62,000 in cash
We don't get to big cities much, but this "Drag" must be a heck of a place, if it is a clever plan to receive stolen merchandise in the middle of it.