Authorities confiscated almost 100 unregistered and uninsured mopeds from the streets and sidewalks of Queens, authorities announced Thursday, New York Post reported.
The four-day operation was conducted by detectives from the Queens District Attorney’s Office alongside NYPD officers. It resulted in the seizure of 99 illegal scooters and five additional legally registered ones that were parked illegally, according to New York Post. The operation, which ran from June 4 to June 8, focused on certain areas.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz emphasized the growing concern over illegal scooters being used in violent crimes.
“Illegal scooters have become a significant concern in our city, as we see them increasingly being used while carrying out violent crimes,” Katz said in a statement, New York Post reported.
Nearly 100 illegal mopeds seized during four-day blitz in Queens amid NYC scourge https://t.co/S8istcZ91f pic.twitter.com/k2CPCeNrSP
— New York Post (@nypost) June 13, 2024
This effort is part of a broader citywide initiative to combat moped gangs, which have been linked to a 400 percent increase in the use of scooters for major felonies since 2022. A significant number of these crimes have been associated with recently arrived migrants, who are involved in approximately 80% of moped-assisted robberies, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Italian Soccer Hopeful Dies Tragically In Moped Accident At Age 18)
One notable incident involved Bernardo Raul Castro Mata, a 19-year-old migrant accused of shooting two police officers on June 3 while riding a scooter. Mata allegedly confessed to being recruited into a “snatch and grab” gang, New York Post reported. It remains unclear if the recent moped crackdown included scooters at the East Elmhurst shelter where Mata was staying.
Since February, more than 500 scooters have been seized by detectives and police officers as part of this ongoing effort to curb the use of illegal mopeds in criminal activities, according to New York Post.
