New York - Sources have confirmed that New York residents
are shipping hundreds of 55-gallon plastic drums filled with food staples
bought with government-funded EBT cards to friends and relatives outside the
country.
A NEW YORK POST Reports that the vast majority of the
shipments are earmarked for Caribbean countries, namely Jamaica, Haiti, and the
Dominican Republic.
According to sources, the process is pretty simple. New York
markets like Pioneer Supermarket and Associated Supermarket in Brooklyn sell
empty plastic 45 and 55-gallon plastic drums to patrons for about $40, who then
take them home and fill them over time with non-perishable staples like rice,
beans, pasta, and canned milk.
When the barrel is full the customer simply then calls a
shipping firm that charges them approximately $70 for the barrel to make its
three week-long voyage to its Caribbean destination.
Most barrels typically contain food estimated to cost
between $500 and $2,000.
“Everybody does it,” said an Associated Market employee. “A
lot of people pay with EBT.”
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