Weehawken police bust multi-state mail theft ring operating across NJ and PA
Investigators learned that the two suspects allegedly conspired to steal mail in exchange for $500 payments from an unnamed ringleader
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A late-night traffic stop in Weehawken has led to the dismantling of a multi-state "mail fishing" operation that targeted residents across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The investigation began on March 23, 2026, when Patrolman Joseph Caputi spotted a double-parked black Honda HR-V near a mailbox at Shippen Street and Hudson Avenue. Since January, the department had been tracking a spike in mail theft, with 13 different mailboxes hit throughout Weehawken. While surveilling the vehicle, Caputi observed a man in dark clothing sprint from the mailbox into the car before it sped away.
Police conducted a motor vehicle stop and identified the driver as 22-year-old Gleona Agaj of Yonkers, New York. Officers impounded the vehicle after Agaj refused a consent search. Once a search warrant was approved, detectives uncovered a trove of stolen checks and mail, along with "fishing" contraptions used to pull envelopes out of secure mailboxes.
The recovered mail belonged to victims in nearly a dozen jurisdictions, including:
New Jersey: Weehawken, Union City, Secaucus, North Bergen, and Jersey City.
New York: Garrison, Yonkers, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.
Pennsylvania: Carlisle.
Agaj and her boyfriend, Salah Altaweel of the Bronx, were arrested when they later attempted to retrieve the impounded Honda. During the arrest, police discovered Altaweel was in possession of a distribution quantity of suspected oxycodone.
Investigators learned that Agaj, Altaweel, and two other suspects allegedly conspired to steal mail in exchange for $500 payments from an unnamed ringleader. Altaweel, who is currently on federal probation, was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility. Agaj was released on a summons.
The scope of the theft ring has triggered a massive joint investigation involving the NYPD, the United States Postal Police, and local detectives from the impacted towns. Authorities are currently working to notify the numerous residents, corporations, and government entities whose checks and personal information were recovered.
