novelraw Chapter 1482 - 797: Unlucky Hank
Chapter 1482 - 797: Unlucky Hank
Justin had been staying in Little Rock for too long. There wasn't much going on here normally, especially since Arkansas is situated in the central part of the country, far from both the East and West Coasts, so there weren't that many big things to do.
For a broker like him, no business meant no income. Even though he had connections at the InterContinental Hotel in New York, there wasn't much he could do. Most of the business had already been resolved locally in New York and its surroundings, which left him with very few assignments.
In fact, a few assignments from Jimmy in the past, including money laundering, allowed him to make large amounts of income, mostly cash that he could freely use. Jimmy became his lucky charm. As a seasoned FBI agent, Jimmy had enough capability to investigate some matters, so it was natural for him to think of Jimmy when a lucrative business opportunity arose.
The task of investigating the source of blue methamphetamine had actually been pending for a long time. Of course, those who could be tasked with it were definitely underworld figures. Many people were interested in this information because meth of this purity had never appeared on the market before. The blue color of the meth was the best anti-counterfeit trademark. Its quality was good, price high, and it was highly favored by certain high-end clientele.
That's right, their target wasn't the street junkies; it was directly aimed at high-end clientele. How much money could those street thugs possibly scrape together? Many of them were robbing Peter to pay Paul, unstable and prone to accidents. That high-end clientele were the best customers, wealthy, leisurely, and generous, with adequate medical resources to ensure they wouldn't have accidents. This was a long-term business.
Currently, the channels to obtain blue meth were mostly low-end gangs, and many people were displeased with them. Giving such a good product to these people to sell to street junkies was simply criminal.
Gangs that could access the InterContinental Hotel were already upper-echelon. They didn't bother with the stuff street thugs pieced together. Much of it was already tainted. What they wanted was supply, purity, and quality, so they were willing to pay big money for supply information, trying to procure it themselves or simply control the whole business.
Justin explained these situations, and just as he was about to finish, someone pressed the buzzer outside. He apologized and left the small room. Jimmy looked outside, but nothing was happening in the bar. However, Justin whispered with someone at the bar and then returned. It seemed there was some urgent information to synchronize.
Justin quickly came back, carrying a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. "Care for a drink? Your favorite, Scotch Whiskey."
Jimmy nodded. Justin poured the drink while continuing to talk about the blue methamphetamine.
This meth had appeared last year, so far it's been less than a year, and in fact, it took a bit longer to reach Little Rock, roughly only four to five months. Even so, it had drawn a lot of attention in certain circles.
The source hasn't been found yet. Many were buying a batch from others and then reselling it. This showed how strong their confidentiality skills were concerning the supply source.
The hotel had already discovered some intel, including a few key gangs and some transport routes and directions, aiming to narrow the scope down to New Mexico and Texas, the places bordering Mexico. They had also received clear messages from Mexican gangs that this product was currently only sold inside the United States, with only a few instances reported in Mexico, supplying only specific high-end venues. This ruled out the possibility of the source coming from Central and South America.
Meth is a lab product, so being able to spread to so many states in over half a year theoretically indicated the source must have a super lab or factory. It would actually be very difficult to keep such places secret. Whether it's personnel or the chemical products needed to synthesize meth, it's bound to be a process requiring a considerable labor force. Yet no one could locate the specific site, and no one leaked the information.
Jimmy clinked glasses with Justin and took a sip of the drink, leaning back on the sofa. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Did you obtain all this intel through underworld channels?"
Justin nodded, "You know, most of our information relies on intel providers. Most people have some connections with various parties, but the vast majority of information comes from the dark side.
The official channels have even less information. In fact, I suspect some of the information they have now leaked from our side. Not long ago, someone from the DEA was ambushed by a Mexican assassin, eventually killing the assassin in return, but he was also severely injured.
He happened to be the agent responsible for investigating the blue methamphetamine. Based on the current situation, it seems they discovered something about certain people or things, which led to a gag order from Mexico. This is also why I think the DEA was misled."
Jimmy frowned at Justin, "So arrogant? How dare they come to Arkansas and do this?"
Justin: "No, not here, it was in Albuquerque, New Mexico."
Jimmy: "Do you know who it was, the injured person?"
Justin: "I didn't pay attention to that, why?"
Jimmy: "I have a few friends at the DEA office in Albuquerque, but..." He glanced at his watch and shook his head, "It's too late, I'll ask tomorrow. Go on."