Authorities arrest 17 in gambling, drug busts

NEW YORK (AP) -- Police investigating a lucrative bookmaking operation came across a related drug smuggling ring and busted both, arresting 17 and seizing 1 million, authorities said Wednesday.
Thirteen men and a woman were arrested on gambling charges, while three men were arrested on charges of conspiracy to possess marijuana, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.
"Surveillance ... established that the gambling ring took in an average of 165,000 a week in bets," Spota said.
The bookmaking operation focused on professional and collegiate sports and involved electronic transfers to Costa Rica, generating 8.6 million a year, he said.
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