When the seller returns to the undercover buyer to hand off the drugs, the undercover buyer then makes a discreet signal to the “ghost” that a drug sale occurred. This prevents the seller from having the pre-recorded buy money in his possession at the completion of the transaction, and it also prevents the seller from having other drugs to sell in his possession if he is arrested. Inside of the building-and out of public view-the person hands off the money to someone else and picks up the drugs to provide to the seller. With more sophisticated street-level sales, oftentimes the seller will receive money from the buyer and then disappear to go into a building somewhere on the block. When a defendant is arrested later and has the pre-recorded buy money in his possession, the fact that he is in possession of that money is strong evidence that can be used by the prosecution to show that the defendant was the seller of the drugs.
Undercover detective called serial numbers#
The money given is always pre-recorded buy money, meaning that the police documented the serial numbers of the cash at the beginning of the operation.
If the officer finds someone who will sell drugs, the officer will give money to the seller. The officer acting as a buyer will interact with a seller. One officer will act as a buyer, and the other officer is known as the “ghost.” Outside of the van are at least two undercover officers. The status of the operation is monitored by an officer in the van who communicates with undercover officers on the ground. Inside the van are officers who are ready to make an arrest if a drug transaction occurs. With a “buy and bust” operation, an unmarked NYPD van goes to a location where drug selling activity is suspected.
Undercover detective called crack#
Their undercover activity often includes “buy and bust” operations that involve a team of officers who have the mission to arrest people on the street for selling drugs-typically heroin or crack cocaine. The NYPD has narcotic units throughout the city, and those units use undercover officers to conduct undercover operations. In New York City, the NYPD has different units that operate undercover for different purposes. When Do Police Officers Operate Undercover? Let Cody help you navigate the criminal justice system to get the best results for your case. An experienced criminal defense lawyer in New York City can evaluate your case to determine the best strategy for your case.Ĭall (212) 627-3184 to speak to NYC criminal attorney Cody Warner to get help with your criminal charges. However, if the police induced or encouraged you to do something that you would not normally do, then you may have a successful entrapment defense available. If you are arrested after taking part in conduct that occurred after an undercover police officer lied to you, the fact that he or she lied cannot be used as a successful defense. Since society is interested in reducing criminal activity and wants law enforcement to have the tools needed to detect and prevent such activity, courts do not take issue with undercover officers lying about their identity, as those lies are used to detect and stop crime. Oftentimes, undercover operations are the only way for the police and prosecution to build a case against a person since some people may behave differently if they believe that police are not around. If police officers were not allowed to lie about their identity, then they would not be able to successfully conduct undercover operations.
For instance, if a person is selling illegal drugs to another person and first asks whether that person is a cop, the seller cannot rely on the person’s answer to be genuine-an undercover cop can and will tell you that he is not a cop. So, if a person asks an undercover police officer whether he is a cop, he or she can lie and say they are not a cop.Īlthough some people think that they can legally protect themselves by asking-and getting the answer to-the question of whether a person is a cop, the true answer cannot be known by simply asking and getting an answer. When police officers are working undercover, they are legally allowed to lie about anything, including their identity.
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