-from adn.com-

Guns, drugs and cash were seized during four major drug busts conducted by agencies across the state last week, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Two warrants served in Anchorage on Thursday netted one arrest and an AK-47, troopers said. Judith Crawford, 46, was arrested in Anchorage on several outstanding warrants, troopers said, adding that cocaine residue and packaging material were seized during a search. Officers found the AK-47 at a separate residence, where they also found imitation crack cocaine that was being sold as authentic, troopers said. In Soldotna, officers arrested Raymond Weigle and Jack Horsley, both 47, on charges of third-degree misconduct of a controlled substance. They also seized $43,000 in cash, 9 ounces of cocaine, three weapons and other drug-related items, according to troopers. A warrant served in Sterling resulted in the arrest of Eric McDonald, 35. Troopers said McDonald’s house was secured with fortified doors, an alarm system, security cameras and an arsenal of weaponry, including two loaded 12-gauge shotguns and a flak jacket. Officers seized 44 firearms, $18,218 in cash and multiple types of drugs, troopers said. The arrests were the result of a five-month investigation into drug trafficking organizations operating between the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage, according to troopers.

-from chicagotribune.com-

Car was pulled over by police Near South Side

Chicago police uncovered what appeared to be about $300,000 worth of marijuana after making a traffic stop Saturday night on the Near South Side.

The stop by uniformed officers of the Deering Police District happened in the 2500 block of South Lowe Avenue about 11 p.m.

A search of the vehicle revealed more than 50 kilograms of marijuana, police said. A large amount of cash and a weapon also were recovered.

Seven people were in taken into custody, and charges were pending as of Sunday afternoon, police said.

-from komu.com-

By Ashton Goodell and Kathryn Lucchesi

COLUMBIA - Police tracked down a major stockpile of marijuana in Columbia, with a little outside help.Columbia Police and the DEA found ties between dealers in Saint Charles County and Columbia. St. Charles police were also part of the investigation.

This is one of the biggest drug busts in mid-Missouri in recent years.

When investigators suspect a large amount drugs, they’ll often ask for assistance from the DEA. They say the location of the drugs was also cause for concern. Police seized 52 pounds of marijuana from a Columbia home Thursday night.

The drugs have a street value of about $46 thousand. Columbia Police say the bust is one of their biggest.

“It’s certainly nice to be able to target somebody of this stature for how much he’s probably selling. It’s very difficult to get everyone who sells marijuana, but if you can get the people at the top or towards the top it certainly helps,” explained Capt. Brad Nelson, Columbia Police Dept.

“They’ll offer assistance if we think it’s going to be a large amount and there was some indication that this possibly could be so for that reason the DEA was involved,” said Nelson.

Police surrounded the house on Seventh St. late Thursday night.

“One man dove out the window, a glass window, but he was arrested by the a member of the SWAT team outside,” said Nelson.

Police arrested Miguel Ramos and Jose Danilo Marquez for possession of a controlled substance. Residents say they never suspected suspicious behavior from the pair.

Neighbors say this use to be a quite neighborhood, but there’s been a crime wave they say they just can’t explain. The house is nestled between Jefferson Junior High and Hickman High, just down the road from Columbia College.

Police says school locations play a large role in drug sales.

“There’s a lot of marijuana in the City of Columbia. It’s a college town which means your going to have more than average,” said Nelson.

Ten-year-old Steven Grimes says despite the bust he still feels safe.

“My neighborhood is a good neighborhood. I don’t think anyone would try to hurt people,” said Grimes, a neighbor.

Police say the amount of drugs seized would fill three duffle bags. That’s about the weight of a 6-year-old child. Police also seized $25 thousand in cash and 4 grams of powder cocaine.

-from kauz.com-

A series of drug busts in Duncan and Comanche Oklahoma lands more than a dozen people in jail. Officials say these busts were in the works for more than 2 months. They also say this will put a serious dent in drug trafficking in the area.

Bret Burns, the Stephens County District Attorney says, “They were all drug dealers and a lot of them were getting their drugs from the Lawton area. We think we’ll slow down the drug trade in Duncan for a while.”

Officials say they found a significant amount of crack, as well as marijuana, meth, guns and thousands of dollars in cash.

“I think the choice of drug goes in cycles. This group of people were selling crack cocaine. That was their drug of choice to sell and use,” Burns says.

Several groups worked together to bust up these alleged drug dealers, including local police, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the F.B.I.Burns says, “It was a good bust here in Duncan. We’re happy the groups worked together so well. Very professional. Nobody was hurt and we’re glad we took the drug dealers off the street.”>

Eight children are in protective custody after today’s drug busts. Now the children are safer, and officials say so is the City of Duncan.

-from cjob.com-

Winnipeg Police aren’t sure why five family members caught in a drug bust had dynamite stashed in their home.

Police seized about 25-thousand dollars worth of marijuana and cocaine, as well as valium and hash from the home in the first 100 block of Stacey Bay Sunday evening. But what’s unusual, says Constable Jacqueline Chaput, are the two sticks of dynamite they found, prompting the Bomb Unit to come in.

Police also found more than 40-thousand dollars cash and a sawed-off shotgun in the home. Five people, all related and living together, face drug charges.

CJOB’s Brenton Driedger reporting.

-from new.khastv.com-

By James Wilcox

5 men are behind bars and nearly 650 pounds of marijuana off the streets after three separate stops by the State Patrol. All the stops were made on Interstate 80 and 1 near Kearney.

The first happened Monday in Lancaster County. In that case, a trooper pulled over a van for a traffic violation.

He searched the vehicle after smelling marijuana and found a duffel bag filled with more than 340 pounds of it.

A 52 year old Illinois man was arrested.

The other bust happened Tuesday in Lancaster County and landed 2 Michigan men behind bars.

More than 175 pounds of marijuana was found in their truck after being pulled over for speeding.

The final arrest happened Wednesday morning at a rest area near the Kearney interchange.

Two men from Las Vegas were arrested.

A trooper found 105 pounds of marijuana in their car.

They face charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

-from oanow.com-

By Amy Weaver

Thirteen suspected drug dealers were jailed early Tuesday in the second major drug bust in two months by the Chambers County Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force.

Another man was arrested for possession of illegal drugs.

Task Force Commander Mike Parrish said he expected three other suspects to be in custody in the next few days.

A similar November operation in the Valley and Lanett communities netted more than 40 suspected drug dealers.

Parrish said investigators worked for two to three months to gain the evidence needed to conduct the latest bust. The investigation for November’s activity took eight months.

“This area has always been hard for us to get to,” Parrish said. “They won’t sell if they don’t know you.”

By forming a multi-jurisdictional task force, the Valley, Lanett and LaFayette police divisions, as well as the Chambers Country Sheriff’s Office, can work together to put those associated with drugs in jail where they belong, he said.

Parrish said he preferred to hold such operations well before daybreak because suspects are less confrontational in the early hours and are easier to locate.

There won’t be another planned bust for a while, but the task force has plenty of work to do, Parrish said. There’s not only paperwork associated with Tuesday’s arrests, but the cases from November’s bust will go before the grand jury later this month.

“We are still doing our ongoing investigations,” said LaFayette police Chief Kenneth Vines. “It never stops when you are dealing with drugs.”

Tuesday’s effort didn’t get all of LaFayette’s drug dealers off the streets, but Parrish said it should be enough to quiet the area drug business for some time. However, once buyers and dealers think it’s safe to use and sell again, he vowed to be back for more arrests.

“You have to be (aggressive) to keep it under control,” Parrish said

-from sun-herald.com-

There was a drug arrest in Charlotte Harbor about 4 p.m. in the parking lot of Circle K on Whidden Boulevard and Harborview Road. Six people — three men and three women — were arrested by the Charlotte County Narcotics Unit with help from the traffic detail and a K9 unit. According to a narcotics unit spokesman they were being arrested on sale and delivery of a variety of drugs. The suspects’ names and the drugs that were being dealt are not available at this time.