Local Sunoco Station Aids, Profits, Off Of Drug Trafficking

For years the Sunoco station at the busy intersection of Brown and Wethersfield was known for one thing; Fried Chicken. With the Fried Chicken sign prominently displayed outisde, one would get overpowered by the small of the frying grease inside that seemed to never get changed. A couple years ago the store was closed for awhile while it was remodeled and the owners have taken a different approach to business. Today, when one walks into the Sunoco station, they are greeted to their right by a large glass display selling various types of electronic scales. At the other side of the front counter there is another large glass display case.

In that case there is not only the garden variety of glass pipes (sold at nearly everywhere gas station in town) but also a large selection of folding knives and large containers of lactose powder. Lactose powder is commonly used by drug dealers to cut cocaine before selling it on the streets. So a drug dealer in the South End needs only to go to the gas station at the very busy intersection of Wethersfield and Brown and he can purchase all the accessories needed to prepare narcotics for sale on the street.

While this is a disgrace for the owners of the gas station, why is this tolerated in the community? I can only imagine the outrage in surrounding suburban neighborhoods if a gas station so brazenly sold products to aid in the drug trade. The fact that this is allowed is further commentary on the decline in the South End precipitated by most home owners moving to the suburbs and residents not being invested in their neighborhood.

Gas station owner parks his Lexus outside the shop that peddles drug trade aids.