-from thepeterboroughexaminer.com-

By Don Peat

An extension cord led the Kawartha Combined Forces Drug Unit to a more than $2 million drug bust Tuesday in Cavan-Monaghan Township, Peterborough County OPP said.

Officers searched a Morton Line residence and followed an extension cord running from the home to the back of the property, police said.

At the end of the cord, officers discovered 2,130 marijuana plants, police said.

Det.

Const. Ernie Garbutt said the seizure was the largest so far this year for the unit.

“We usually don’t get into eradication until July because the plants are usually smaller,” Garbutt said. “These ones were about a foot high.”

The 400-foot long extension cord went down a well-travelled path to power a pump in a creek that watered the 12 plots of plants, he said.

“It’s an 85-acre property bought primarily to grow marijuana,” Garbutt said.

Garbutt credited tips from the public and Crime Stoppers with helping alert officers to the operation.

“We’d been watching the property for about two weeks,” he said.

When officers searched the property, no one was home and they were able to collect the crop, which police estimate has a street value of $2,130,000.

“We knew these people would be back,” he said.

The next day officers arrested two men when they arrived on the property, Garbutt said.

Police also seized a van.

Tu Van Bui, 45, of Markham, and Van Khoi Bui, 42, of Maple, are charged with production of marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Both are to appear in court Aug. 2

-from theaustralian.news.com.au-

By Andrea Hayward

FOUR people have been charged over a $5 million drug bust after police found 12kg of drugs hidden in a car in Western Australia. Detective Superintendent Kim Porter today said the drugs were found after police pulled over two men in a Landcruiser, at Eucla, shortly after they had crossed the border from South Australia.

A police dog sniffed out the 12kg of methylamphetamine and MDMA, or ecstasy tablets, hidden in the vehicle, he said.

“It was set up in such a way that it was almost impossible to detect,'’ Det Supt Porter said.

“The drugs had actually been welded inside the container and the container was welded to the body of the vehicle to prevent anyone from having access to it.

“It’s probably the largest seizure (of methylamphetamine) that West Australian police have actually captured in one operation.

“I think it’s pretty clear they are in the upper echelon of the drug trade.'’

Detective Senior Sergeant Darryl Cox said police had waited three days for the vehicle to cross the border.

In a subsequent raid, officers found a further 1.2kg of MDMA and $30,000 in cash at a house in Connolly, in Perth’s northern suburbs.

Police believe the street value of all the drugs seized is about $5 million.

A 46-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, both of Connolly, were arrested in the raid. They were due to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates Court today charged with possessing drugs with intent to sell or supply, possessing cocaine and possessing steroids.

The 44-year-old driver of the Landcruiser was remanded in custody today after appearing in a Eucla court charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply or sell them.

His passenger, a 48-year-old South Hedland man, was released at Eucla Police station after being charged with possessing a prohibited drug.

-from vvdailypress.com-

By Katherine Rosenberg

VICTORVILLE — Two weeks ago a local woman was arrested with $16,000 worth of methamphetamine and $3,200 in cash, officials said. She was released from jail on her own recognizance, and the district attorney had yet to file charges.

Then on Wednesday, officials stopped the same woman, Yvette Grimes, 41, for a vehicle code violation and found another $34,000 worth of methamphetamine and $3,700 in cash hidden in her Dodge Stratus. Officials from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Victorville station said that Hesperia deputies had stopped her before the first bust as well.

“She was probably in possession of a pound and had already sold about half before she was stopped,” Detective John Walsh said of all the cash Grimes was carrying.

Also on Wednesday, officials from the District Attorney’s office issued a $50,000 warrant for Grimes on the first stop after determining that the substance recovered was in fact methamphetamine.

As a result, Grimes was arrested by Deputy Jorge Lozano on the warrant, for possession of methamphetamine for sales and for transportation of methamphetamine for sales.

Detectives said getting $50,000 in methamphetamine off the streets will make a big impact.

“Along with the cash, she also had scales and pay/owe sheets, all indications that she was a major drug trafficker,” Walsh said.

-from thnews.com-

By Alan Smith

After several months of investigation, the St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department and the First Judicial Drug Task Force (DTF) nabbed a Forrest City man being called a major player in the illegal drug trade in the city.

According to a press release by DTF Director Randy R. Julian, both the sheriff’s department and the DTF executed a search warrant on Andre Fizer, 27, of 229 North Gorman, Forrest City. The warrant was the result of an undercover operation that the two agencies had conducted over the past several months.

Undercover agents had made several drug purchases from Fizer during the investigation, both at his home, and at the Ole Saw Mill Café in Forrest City where he worked. Fizer was arrested by the sheriff’s department and DTF agents at the Ole Saw Mill Café Tuesday afternoon, the release said.

Officers entered Fizer’s home and found about 50 pounds of marijuana. They also found powder cocaine, crack cocaine and methamphetamine. The estimated street value of the drugs is over $50,000. Firearms were found along with over $10,000 in cash.

Fizer will be charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell, possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, possession of cocaine with intent to sell, possession of drugs and a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and selling narcotics near a church, according to the release. An arrest card at the sheriff’s department listed two charges of delivery of a controlled substance. He was scheduled to appear in court this afternoon.

Captain Gene Wingo, with the sheriff’s department and a DTF agent, said that Fizer had been on their radar since last fall. “Our agents purchased drugs from him several times at both his home and his place of work since then,” said Wingo. “For this area, he is a pretty good size fish.” Wingo added that in addition to the sheriff’s department and the DTF, the Forrest City Police Department also assisted.

Sheriff Bobby May is calling Tuesday’s drug bust one of the largest locally that was not on Interstate 40.

“We think it is one of the biggest we’ve had here and this all started when we had the DTF doing undercover work for us,” said May. “He was obviously a big dealer. We had one end of a bale of marijuana that was 25 pounds by itself. He had a large amount of money and he had marijuana in bricks which means he isn’t small-time.

“Fizer was no middle-man; he was a supplier,” stated May. “These are the folks that we are after. We are after the people who supply the lower-level dealers. To kill the snake, you have to cut its head off and that is what we are trying to do.”

May stated that he will contact First Judicial District Prosecutor Fletcher Long about getting the property and money turned over to the county. “We are going to proceed in taking the steps necessary to get it turned over to the county and put the proceeds in the county general fund,” said May. “We have also heard that Fizer is building another house. If it is paid for and in the clear, we will

go after that too.

“I’m very pleased (with this bust). It lets the drug dealers know that we are serious about stopping the drug activity in SFC. If they are intent on selling or trafficking drugs through this county, they need to be looking over their shoulder. This bust should send them a signal. I want them to be scared and they should be scared; we are going after them.”

Both May and Wingo stated that more arrests are expected in connection with this drug bust and that the investigation is continuing.

-from thedallaschronicle.com-

Drug officers seized 53 marijuana plants from an indoor growing operation near Wasco in a raid early Monday morning. Acting on a citizen tip and other factors, the Mid-Columbia Interagency Narcotics Taskforce (MINT) and the Sherman County sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at 92740 Highway 206 in Wasco. The plants were found growing in a sophisticated hydroponics system. Officers also found 3.3 pounds of dried marijuana. Louis Burchel Duarte, 40, was arrested for the manufacture and possession of substantial quantities of marijuana. Additional arrests are expected “This is one of the largest indoor grows Sherman County has seen in a long time,” said Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey.
The discovery of the operation reflects cooperation between the sheriff’s office, MINT and concerned citizens, added Sherman County District Attorney Wade McLeod. The Oregon State Sheriff’s Association offers a reward for reporting marijuana growers. To report growers call 1-800-624-4405.

-from etna.mcot.net-

BANGKOK, June 25 (TNA) – Police arrested 17 drug dealers and confiscated about 100,000 amphetamine (speed) pills, valued on the street at about Bt30 million.

Pol. Maj-Gen. Adithep Panjamanon, Deputy Commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau said in a press conference that the arrests represented successful police work closing in on four drug dealing gangs.

Police nabbed Thanakorn Je-uma and six associates and seized 95,000 speed pills, 7.5 kg of marijuana as well as guns and ammunition.

According to the police investigation, these drug trafficking suspects brought speed pills from the northern border provinces to sell in the southern border provinces.

The second case is Elya Dolor, also arrested in connection with Thanakorn’s drug syndicate, who is implicated in the Runda Kumpulan Kecil (RKK) separatist group and is said to be related to several insurgents arrested earlier.

The leader of the third gang, Suwan Saengkam, and four companions were arrested with 9,600 speed pills and the last gang, led by Uthai Kokaew, and three others, were arrested and 2,000 speed pills in their possession were confiscated. (TNA)-E004

-from thetimesherald.com-

By Craig Davison

Vehicles, home confiscated by county task force

FORT GRATIOT- The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force on Friday arrested a man believed to be one of the largest drug dealers in the area and seized $40,000 worth of cocaine in a raid.

The task force had been receiving information on the man, 25, of Fort Gratiot, for a few years, said Lt. Ron Muxlow. On Friday, officers with a search warrant found a safe the suspect had stashed in a safehouse that contained the cocaine, as well as $4,500 worth of marijuana and $1,000 worth of psilocybin mushrooms.

Officers then obtained a search warrant for the raid at about 8 p.m. in the 3400 block of Oxbow Road, Muxlow said, where they arrested the suspect.

“This suspect was one of the largest dealers in the Port Huron area,” Muxlow said. “It’s one of the largest busts ever in St. Clair County.”The suspect faces charges of possession with intent to deliver psilocybin mushrooms, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and maintaining a drug house. Muxlow said he did not know when the suspect was to be arraigned.

Police also seized several types of packaging material, digital scales and a cutting agent used in the distribution of cocaine.

Property at the Oxbow Road residence, including a 1996 34-foot Chris Craft boat, a 2000 Ford Excursion, a 1997 Pontiac Trans Am, a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer, a Yamaha Wave

Runner and $4,751 in cash, were seized pending forfeiture.

Muxlow said property can be seized for drug forfeiture if it is believed the property was used for storage or sale of drugs or was purchased by money from the selling of drugs. The total value of the property seized is about $133,451.

Muxlow said they have received information throughout the investigation that the suspect likely has more safehouses with safes containing narcotics. Anyone with information on more safehouses should contact the Drug Task Force at (810) 985-8201.

-from icwales.icnetwork.co.uk-

A HUGE drugs operation was foiled by police tracking mobile phone calls, it emerged yesterday. Two men were jailed for a total of 16 years after being caught red-handed, bringing cocaine with a street value of £285,000 into South Wales. They were trapped by a major police surveillance operation, involving tracking dozens of mobile phone calls made in the run-up to the drug deal. Ringleader Colin Lewis and “middle man” John Rowlands, both 41, were convicted of conspiring to supply Class A drugs. A court heard Rowlands left Maesteg to travel to London for the drugs deal, under the direction of Lewis. Prosecutor Ieuan Morris said, “He had with him £32,000 to buy a large package of cocaine from a man in the Hounslow area of London. “The consignment of cocaine was en route to South Wales when police chose their moment to swoop.” Cardiff Crown Court was told the drugs were found in the rear footwell of the car being driven by Rowlands. Meanwhile police continued their observations on Lewis who was waiting for the consignment of top-quality cocaine to arrive at his home in Maesteg. Mr Morris said, “He was clicking his heels and biting his nails, no doubt. His demeanour was frantic, his behaviour agitated. He was making and receiving mobile phone calls. He was traipsing back and for. “When he was arrested he told police, ‘What’s all this about?’” The court heard the cocaine was analysed and found to be 71% pure cocaine. Mr Morris told the jury that when cut with other substances the drugs would have a maximum street value of £285,000. The jury was shown the package of drugs and the bundles of cash used to make the drugs deal. The court heard Lewis’s palm print and Rowlands’ fingerprint was found on the box used to ship the money to London. Mr Morris said, “Colin Lewis was the organiser and financier of the conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Rowlands was the middle man.” The court heard Lewis was working as a barman at the Station Hotel in Maesteg, and was landlord to Rowlands, who lived in a flat there. Lewis of Coegnant Road, Maesteg, was found guilty of conspiring to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for eight years. Rowlands of the Station Hotel, Maesteg, changed his plea to guilty during the trial and was also jailed for eight years.