-from katc.com-

Four people are behind bars in Saint Landry parish following two drug raids. Deputies conducted what’s called a “Knock and Talk.” it happened on Spruce Street near Opelousas.

Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says they discovered a small amount of crack cocaine, about four ounces of cocaine, 3,000 dollars in cash and a stolen car.

The drugs had a street value of about 5,000 dollars.

26-year old Tory King, 22-year old Crystal Richard, 44-year old Jeffery Thomas and 34-year old Ronald Savoy were arrested on various drug charges.

-from canada.com-

By Doug Ward

SURREY - Shortly after midnight Thursday, waiting police officers watched their target, a Canada border guard, wave two identical GMC suburbans past his post at the Pacific Highway Crossing.

Moments later, the police swooped down on the two drivers — and found a shipment of 208 kilograms of cocaine, worth $6 million wholesale, plus three handguns and ammunition in one of the vehicles.

The takedown was the culmination of a 13-month investigation by RCMP E Division officers and the Canada Border Services Agency. The probe was sparked by a tip that a border guard had allegedly been allowing vehicles carrying contraband to cross unexamined.

Baljinder Kandola, a 35-year-old Surrey resident and a border guard for six years, faces six criminal charges: importing cocaine into Canada, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking, importing a restricted firearm, breach of trust and bribery.

Shminder Johal, 34, and Herman Riar, 26, both of Richmond — face four criminal charges: importing cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking, conspiracy to import cocaine and importing a restricted firearm.

The police said they later found $200,000 in Johal’s residence.

RCMP Insp. Dan Malo of E Division’s border integrity section, said at a press conference Friday that “the evidence supports the belief that Mr. Kandola previously arranged with Mr. Johal safe passage through the port of entry at this specific time.”

Malo said the conspiracy was part of an effort by organized crime to bring cocaine into the Lower Mainland. “Nobody in Canada imports this quantity of cocaine without being involved with organized crime.”

The police are unaware of how long the three men have known each other, Malo said. “We just know that during these last 13 months, they knew each other very well.”

None of the three men had previous criminal records.

Kim Scoville, Pacific Highway District director of the Canada Border Services Agency, told reporters that he had mixed feelings about the probe into Kandola’s activities. “It was a successful investigation. Unfortunately, one of our officers was a key figure.”

Scoville said Kandola had previously passed a “reliability check” which is compulsory for all border guards.

He added that “this is an incident involving a single officer and does not diminish the pride and confidence that we have in the men and women of the Canada Border Services Agency.”

The CBSA has been hit by controversy in recent months. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day earlier this month launched an investigation into the online postings of recruits training in Quebec to become border guards.

CBC News had revealed that recruits had posted photographs of themselves drinking while in uniform, called Prime Minister Stephen Harper a serial killer, and referred to French-Canadians as “f—ing bastards,” on Facebook.

Meanwhile, a former CBSA officer, Daniel Greenhalgh, was charged recently with three counts of sexual assault.

He is accused of inappropriately strip-searching an 18-year-old woman in a public washroom at the Douglas border crossing, where he worked.

-from thisisplymouth.co.uk-

A Devonport based warship has seized 3 tonnes of cocaine in a drugs bust on the high seas.

The Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Portland captured the drugs after spotting a suspicious fishing vessel in the North Atlantic.

A coordinated approach was made using the ship’s sea boats, Lynx helicopter, and the Duke Class ship herself.

As the dodgy ‘fishermen’ were approached, they increased speed and began throwing packages over the side. After she was stopped, Portland’s boats recovered 500 kilos of cocaine from the sea. Further contraband was found on board.

Portland’s captain, Commander Mike Utley, said: “I’m delighted to have taken this amount of drugs out of circulation. This is the culmination of five months of hard work and dedication by my ship’s company. “This drugs bust is the icing on the cake for what has been an extremely successful deployment.”

A US coastguard law enforcement detachment which was embarked on the Devonport based frigate also boarded the suspicious vessel, which is registered in Venezuela.

After an extensive search a total of over 3,000 kilos of cocaine was found. The vessel is now being to Venezuela where the authorities will take over the investigation.

-from news-expressky.com-

By Mary Music

27 sought, 19 nabbed in Pike

Police sent a harsh message yesterday to people suspected of illegally selling prescription pills.

The officers arrested dozens during a drug bust that targeted residents in Rockhouse, Hellier and Lookout.

The arrests stemmed from a five-month UNITE investigation in which undercover officers purchased quantities of drugs from the suspects. The drug purchases included the sale of OxyContin, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and other controlled substances.

The area targeted yesterday has had a “pretty rampant” drug problem for years, Pike County Sheriff Charles “Fuzzy” Keesee said.

Officers with UNITE, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department, Kentucky State Police, Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, Pikeville Police Department, Department of Probation and Parole and Kentucky Bureau of Investigations worked side-by-side to bring in 22 suspected drug dealers and five people wanted by the Pike County Sheriff’s Department.

The 19 people taken into custody as of yesterday afternoon were between the ages of 21 and 71 years old.

The suspects were booked into custody at the Marrowbone Volunteer Fire Department, where Pike County deputy jailers picked them up and transported them to the Pike County Detention Center.

Police officers set up a road block and checked vehicles driving by the fire department while inmates waited for transport. Dan Smoot, UNITE’s Law Enforcement Director, informed passing drivers about the arrests and he provided them with contact information for UNITE.

The arrests in Pike County yesterday came about a month after UNITE worked with police officials in another drug roundup that brought in 16 suspected drug traffickers. Since that time, one drug dealer, Avery Newsome, 32, has pleaded guilty. The other arrested last month pleaded not guilty and they are still awaiting trial.

The 19 people who were arrested as of yesterday afternoon include:

-from deseretnews.com-

By Pat Reavy

For the second time in less than a month, a not-so-well-hidden marijuana garden was busted by narcotics agents in Salt Lake County.

Overall, it’s the sixth outdoor marijuana growing operation shut down in Utah over the past two months.

Salt Lake County sheriff deputies received a tip Thursday of possible outdoor marijuana in the yard of a house near 5100 South and 3800 West. When officers arrived, it didn’t take them long to find the problem.

“They could smell the marijuana,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Rex Mulholland.

Deputies moved around the house where they could look in the back yard and saw marijuana plants growing in a garden next to several tomato plants. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies went into the back yard and seized 62 plants, some 5 to 6 feet tall, as well as some marijuana inside the house that had already been packaged and was ready to distribute, Mulholland said.

Because the plants were budding, the odor in the area was very strong, he said.

Deputies also recovered more than a half-dozen handguns, rifles and shotguns as well as $100,000 cash. Investigators found a hydroponic growing operation being set up in the garage that was ready to start growing marijuana plants during the winter, Mulholland said.

A 34-year-old woman was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of drug possession and the manufacturing and cultivation of marijuana.

Two weeks ago, Sandy police busted a 44-year-old man who reportedly was growing marijuana plants in his back yard, in plain view, near 10400 South and 700 East.

In September, Draper police discovered a marijuana operation in Corner Canyon. At the time, police said they wouldn’t be surprised if there were other marijuana busts in the near future since September and October are the harvesting months in Utah for illegal marijuana growers.

Other pot busts over the past two months have happened near Cedar City, Oak Grove and New Harmony.

-from examiner.com-

By John Upton

SAN FRANCISCO - A multiagency criminal investigation started two years ago due to the work of a San Francisco drug enforcement officer culminated in the arrests of 14 people in the Bay Area and Central Valley on heroin trafficking-related charges during early morning raids Wednesday.

More than 500 law enforcement agents raided properties across the Bay Area and Central Valley, using 28 search warrants, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Less than three pounds of heroin was seized during the raids, said the DOJ, which said those arrested were believed to have been able to distribute between 50 pounds and 100 pounds of heroin per month.

Two pounds of marijuana, an ounce of crystal methamphetamine, an ounce of cocaine, an ounce of crack cocaine, three vehicles, 21 weapons and $11,800 were also seized, the DOJ said.

Investigators said 40 people were arrested in the two-year investigation, including 14 who were arrested Wednesday during the raids and three more separate arrests. Two suspects were slain during the investigation, investigators said.

Investigators on Wednesday said two gangs distributed Mexican-sourced tar heroin out of the Central Valley.

San Francisco police Chief Heather Fong credited Inspector Carl Bonner, from The City’s drug enforcement task force, with uncovering information in 2005 that led to the arrests.

“The willingness to say, ‘Let’s reach out to our partners, let’s look into this matter,’ led to this two-year investigation,” Fong said Wednesday.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Francisco Police Department and Oakland Police Department were involved in the investigation.

Examiner Staff Writer Dave Smith contributed to this report.

-from wesh.com-

ORLANDO, Fla. — Police took hundreds of criminals off the streets of Orlando, part of a drug crackdown operation.

According to police, 234 men and women were taken into custody with charges ranging from drug possession, burglary and sexual battery, WESH 2 News reported.Police arrested Steven Williams, 39, during a drug deal in the streets of Parramore during broad daylight on suspicion of selling crack cocaine.

“The best thing we can do for Parramore is get the drug thugs off the corners,”

Police said they launched Operation Delta three weeks ago to take drugs, guns and violent criminals off the streets.”We wanted to drop the hammer on drug dealers and those that commit violent crimes in a way that hadn’t been done before.”Officials said 50 percent of the criminals are already back on the streets, and more needs to be done to make sure repeat offenders stay locked up.One man’s criminal record goes back 27 years with 35 arrests and 10 separate felony convictions. Another man, police said, has 46 arrests dating back to 1979 with seven felony convictions.”The abiding citizen wants us on their streets. They want their streets back, they don’t want to look out their window and see people hanging on the corner selling drugs,” Orlando Police Department Chief Mike McCoy said.McCoy said the laws need to change to make sure repeat offenders are not able to just post bail and get right back on the streets.The Orlando Police Department worked alongside the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation on Operation Delta.Officials said they plan more similar stings throughout the year.

-from sfist.com-

Although a press conference happening this afternoon will tell us all of the gory details, this morning an Oakland drug bust went down. It was one of the largest of its kind in the East Bay, ever. “Biggest drug busts in years,”  Squealed giddy authorities.

At the dewy-fresh hour of 6 a.m., Oakland police officers, Alameda County sheriff’s deputies, and agents with the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI went on an Oakland-wide spree of busts for heroin trafficking (as well as ” Cocaine and Marijuana,” at least according to this morning’s Mornings on 2’s)

It seems, though, that the focus was on tar heroin trafficking from a sole distributor in Central Valley. (Meth, heroin, trailers, unbearable heat — what fun doesn’t the Central Valley have!?)