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Alleged illegal arms dealer busted after posting pics of guns and money on Instagram

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 8:42PM EST
New York Gun Bust Instagram
Image: Instagram

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Here’s one advantage to not having Instagram on your smartphone: You won’t be tempted to upload pictures of your criminal activities for the whole world to see. The New York Daily News reports that New York police this week made the biggest gun bust in the city’s history after arresting two weapons runners and 17 accomplices while seizing more than 250 illegal firearms.

The police first started investigating the alleged illegal gun ring after 26-year-old Brooklyn resident Matthew Best started posting pictures of weapons and stacks of money on his Instagram and YouTube accounts while making allusions to gun sales. Once the police found evidence that Best was allegedly selling weapons illegally, they were able to uncover a major weapons operation centered on two gun runners from the Carolinas.

NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly lauded his police force and remarked that “more than 200 guns is an astonishing number to recover” by one undercover operation.

A pair of photos from the Instagram account follow below.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.