NEW YORK — Authorities said guns from the Carolinas were smuggled into New York on discount buses.
Investigators said they netted more than 250 guns over the last year in a major operation.
Only a few of the guns were reported stolen, but police said most of them were bought legally in the Carolinas and then sold illegally in New York City.
Police said Earl Campbell, of Rock Hill, is the ringleader and one of 19 people arrested in the investigation.
The New York State Police Department said the group was using discount bus rides to New York to transport the guns, putting them in luggage and going back and forth to sell them to black-market dealers.
What they didn't realize is they sold most of the guns to undercover officers, police said.
Rock Hill police helped round up the people two weeks ago, but officers said their part is not over.
"We're also going to take the names and run them through some of our databases just to check and see if these folks have been doing a lot of pawning in the pawn shops in Rock Hill," said Rock Hill police Officer Mark Bollinger.
Police in New York said the suspects sold 208 guns worth $160,000 over the past year.
More than 250 guns were taken off the streets.
WSOC
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