The Mega Merged Drug Busts Thread

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$74m of 'ice' found in candles

$74m of 'ice' found in candles

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/10/21/australia.drugs.ap/index.html

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Australian Federal Police have uncovered $74 million worth of crystal methamphetamine hidden in hollowed-out candles from China -- one of the nation's biggest-ever drug seizures.

Three Chinese men arrested Thursday in Sydney were due to appear in court Friday to faces charges in connection with the 125 kilogram (275-pound) shipment of the drug, officials said.

Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison said in a statement that the haul was the second largest in Australian history of crystal meth.

Federal agent David Stewart said the seized drugs amounted to 1.25 million potential street deals.

He said the arrests aided Australia's battle against organized crime syndicates.

Australia's largest seizure of crystal meth was made in Sydney in May 2003, when 233 kilogram (514 pounds) of the drug was found in a shipping container from China
 
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$1 Million worth of Meth

Published Thursday, October 21, 2004

$1 Million Of Meth, Cocaine Seized
Officials think it was brought to Polk County from Atlanta.

By Lauren Glenn
The Ledger
[email protected]

WINTER HAVEN -- More than $1 million worth of crystal ice methamphetamine and cocaine, which Polk County sheriff's officials think was brought to the county from Atlanta, was confiscated early Wednesday morning, the Sheriff's Office reported.

Deputies arrested three men on federal drug trafficking charges after executing search warrants at homes in Auburndale and in Winter Haven, a sheriff's report said.

From the two homes, detectives seized a combined 17 pounds of ice and a kilogram of cocaine, the report said.

Three men were arrested on drug trafficking charges.

Javier Contreras, 41, of xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxx in Auburndale, was arrested on two counts of methamphetamine trafficking.

David Gonzalez, 40, of xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx in Winter Haven, was arrested on one charge of meth trafficking.

Augustin Ochoa-Valdonos, 19, of xxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx in Winter Haven, was arrested on one charge of meth trafficking and one charge of trafficking in cocaine.

On Wednesday all three were being held at the Polk County Jail on $500,000 bail.

Col. Grady Judd said the 17 pounds of ice seized is the largest such bust in the Polk Sheriff's Office's history.

The seizure was the result of a joint operation between the Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The two agencies conducted a three-week investigation after receiving intelligence that large quantities of meth were being sold from the three men, Judd said.

The combined street value of the meth and cocaine, Judd said, exceeds $1 million.

According to the Sheriff's Office, this isn't the first Atlanta-based meth bust of the year.

"We've seen several large shipments of ice come out of Atlanta this year," Judd said.

Ice is a purer and more expensive form of methamphetamine.

"It is normally 70 to 90 percent pure," Judd said.

Sheriff's deputies think the drugs were intended to be distributed around Central Florida, not just Polk County.

Detectives are still trying to determine the exact origin of the drugs.

In April, sheriff's deputies seized 25 pounds of methamphetamine, which included three pounds of ice, from a home in Haines City.

Those drugs were also thought to have been shipped from Atlanta.
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I live in Auburndale .. and cant imagine what 1mil of ice could look like.
And for what reason would that much be in these 2 hillbilly towns.

[edit: removed addresses and changed format to distinguish personal comments; please try to keep your comments in a separate post!
 
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3,000+ Pot Plants Found In Home
23 Vehicles, 64 Firearms Seized


GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- The Josephine Narcotics Team has found nearly 3,500 growing marijuana plants, 60 pounds of processed bud and $60,000 in cash at a Grants Pass home.

Officers in an early morning raid found a 4,000-square-foot metal building with nine rooms used for growing.

Twenty-three vehicles were seized, including a $90,000 Dodge Viper and a $70,000 Dodge Spider pickup. Officers also found 64 firearms including a 50-caliber sniper rifle, a machine gun and two 9 mm uzi weapons.

Police say the home on xxxxxxx Road is owned by Jeffrey and Cynthia Davis.
The couple was at home with their 16-year-old daughter when detectives served the search warrant.

No arrests have been made pending review by the federal prosecutors.

Link: http://koin.com/news.asp?RECORD_KEY[news]=ID&ID%5Bnews%5D=1397

[edit: removed address and fixed link]
 
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"Caveman" found growing pot on Los Alamos National Lab property
KOB-TV Albequerque
October 28, 2004

LOS ALAMOS, NM - A man in Los Alamos faces felony drug charges after he allegedly was found living in a cave and growing marijuana plants.

Roy Michael Moore, 56, was apparently living on lab property. A Department of Energy spokesman says the lab is not sure how long he'd been there but it was long enough to build a door at the mouth of the cave so he could be protected from bad weather.

He also had a solar collector hooked up to a battery for electricity. The DOE found Moore two weeks ago and arrested him when someone saw smoke coming from the cave only 50 to 75 feet below the DOE site office at Los Alamos.

The DOE says Moore was caught growing marijuana plants and had a plastic bag with dried marijuana in it.

There were some items for comfort in the cave -- a bed, shelves, and pipes for some sort of heating system.

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Elaborate Pot Operation Busted
WPVI Philadelphia
October 28, 2004

A huge marijuana operation is out of business in Norristown, Montgomery County.

Action News was there today as police moved in to bust up the pot-growing operation. They removed dozens of marijuana plants and equipment used to harvest them.

There were more than 60 plants in all and Norristown police say this isn't your average pot. They say it's extremely high-grade and worth about $5,000 per pound. The D.A. says operations like this are rare in this area but that this one was quite elaborate.

Bag by bag - that's how Norristown police brought out more than 60 plants through the back door of 420 xxxx xxxxxx Street. Investigators say for years suspect Patrick Otterson used this place solely to produce high-grade pot.

Bruce Castor/MONTGOMERY COUNTY D.A.:

"And what we have in this case is a situation where a guy converted an entire rental property into a hydroponic greenhouse to grow marijuana."

That's no surprise to neighbors whose complaints prompted the bust. Lutitia Oliver has lived across the street for close to 3 years.

Lutitia Oliver/NORRISTOWN, PA.:

"Oh, it makes the people want to move out definitely. You don't want to live in that kind of community. You don't want to raise your children in that type of community."

Recently, the Pennsylvania National Guard flew over the house using thermal imaging to detect the heat source. This afternoon, police say every room was filled with heat lamps and other pot paraphernalia.

Because of all that electrical activity and all of that heat there's a tremendous fire risk.

Back in August, 2 Philadelphia firefighters were killed going into the same kind of drug operation. Neighbors are pleased that element of danger is now gone from their block.

"I'm glad that police in Norristown are paying attention and they're listening to the community about what's going on. This is fantastic."

Patrick Otterson is facing a slew of charges including possession of marijuana and the intent to deal it.

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Idiot of the week

Man with warrant brings crack to court
By BETH VELLIQUETTE, The Herald-Sun (Orange County)
Oct 28, 2004

HILLSBOROUGH -- When Brian Deshawn Quick came to court to try to convince a judge to strike an arrest warrant against him, he probably should have left the cocaine at home.

Quick, 21, of xxx xxxxx xx., Hillsborough, appeared in Orange County District Court in Hillsborough this week to tell the judge why he failed to appear in court in August to face a charge of driving with a revoked license. He hoped Coleman would withdraw the arrest warrant that was issued when he didn't show up.

Quick later told an investigator that he fell asleep in court and didn't hear his name being called. Finally about 4 p.m., he had his chance to talk to the judge. District Court Judge Alonzo Coleman told Quick he wouldn't withdraw the arrest warrant and that Quick would be placed under arrest and taken to jail and placed under a $350 bond.

That's when Quick started to sweat.

Deputy Charles Nordan, who works in the courthouse after retiring as assistant chief of the Duke University Police Department, was asked to walk Quick across the street to the Orange County Jail.

"He said he really had to go to the bathroom bad," Nordan recalled.

Nordan has about 30 years of experience as a law enforcement officer, and when someone under arrest announces he has to go to the bathroom, Nordan gets suspicious.

"Every time somebody says something to me like that, it's because they have something to hide," he said.

Nordan told Quick he could use the bathroom at the jail, and placed Quick in handcuffs for the short walk. "He was acting very nervous," Nordan said. "I asked him if he had any contraband on him, and he said, 'Yes, I've got some drugs.' "

Nordan didn't say anything else to Quick, but when they got to the jail, he told officials there what Quick had told him.

Investigator Randy Hawkins of the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a call from the jail a short time later. "They said a guy came in, and they found a bunch of dope on him," Hawkins said.

The jailers searched Quick and found two bags of crack cocaine and one bag of powdered cocaine on him. The cocaine weighed about one half ounce and was worth about $600, Hawkins said.

Hawkins charged Quick with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, and a magistrate set his bond at $1,000 for the drug charge.

"So he wins the dumb crook of the week award," Hawkins said.

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Tampa FL AV-02 4am Raid- cops in LIMOS!!!

The place was always a little seedy, but hey it was fun. Too Bad.
Copyright Times Publishing Co. Oct 25, 2004
Federal and local agents arrived in a limousine to raid a downtown Tampa after-hours club early Sunday morning, arresting the same owner police have put out of business twice before.

Elias Edward "Lou" Abusaid, remained in jail without bail Sunday evening, charged with a federal statute for maintaining a drug-involved premises. He will go before a federal judge this morning.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tampa police said they arrested about 24 people for possession and sale of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy, inside Abusaid's club, AV-02 at 1202 N Franklin St.

Agents wouldn't give any names Sunday, saying they plan to release more information today once those arrested have gone before federal and state judges.

"(Abusaid) operated knowing the sale of drugs was a continuing and constant thing," DEA Special Agent Joe Kilmer said during an 8 a.m. news conference Sunday outside Tampa police headquarters.

Kilmer said federal and local undercover agents spent a year investigating AV-02. Officers would go into the club and buy Ecstasy pills from patrons and employees, he said. About 50 patrons were in the club Sunday during the 4 a.m. raid.

"After just a few minutes, (undercover agents) would walk out on dozens of occasions" without having any problems buying drugs, said Kilmer.

Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said Abusaid managed to avoid city ordinances against rave clubs by not charging a cover fee. Abusaid didn't sell food or alcohol, Kilmer said, but he made money by selling bottled water inside the club and charging $15 to enter the VIP room, where agents said most of the drug dealing occurred. The club opens its doors at 2 a.m. Anyone 18 and older is admitted.

Hillsborough property records show that Joe Redner owns the property where Abusaid operates his club. Redner owns a string of strip clubs throughout Tampa and is campaigning to become a Hillsborough County commissioner.

While the bulk of the charges deal with Ecstasy, Kilmer said agents have found cocaine and LSD at AV-02. He wouldn't go into details about Abusaid's charges or his past run-ins with the law.

"I think if you'll attend the court hearing tomorrow, you'll learn a few things," he said Sunday.

In August 2000, police raided another club that Abusaid operated on Franklin Street called the Franklin Stock Exchange. Police charged him with operating a dance hall without a permit.

In June 2000, Abusaid was evicted from his AV-02 when he operated the club on Gunn Highway in Carrollwood. Sheriff's deputies said he was running an illegal rave and deputies raided the club, making dozens of arrests.

In the past, Abusaid has maintained that he never needed a dance hall permit and denied operating rave clubs. He called them licensed private parties for his business associates.

Jail records show that Abusaid has been arrested at least seven times in Hillsborough since 2000. His other charges include maintaining a place where alcohol is sold illegally and operating a bottle club without a license.

McElroy said she anticipates Abusaid might be out of jail soon on bail, and his club might be opened again Saturday.

"We're just hoping that no one's in the mood to go dancing there after our raid this weekend," McElroy said.

If convicted on charges from Sunday's raid, Abusaid could face up to 20 years in prison.

News Story:
http://www.wtsp.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=10527
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[edit: format and moved video link to video links thread]
 
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43 arrested in drug sweep

43 arrested in drug sweep

BY DENISE M. BONILLA
STAFF WRITER
NY NEWS DAY
November 1, 2004

Suffolk County police, working with the district attorney's office, arrested 43 people during the past week as part of an effort to thwart drug activity in Gordon Heights.

At a news conference held on Friday at the Faith Baptist Church in Gordon Heights, Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said the arrests were made as part of the police's Operation Clean Sweep that began in July.

The announcement was made at the church, which is also a community center, he said, to "show we are all in this together." He said the sweep was a response to community requests for increased police presence.

Police seized an undisclosed amount of crack cocaine and weapons, including a .45-caliber assault rifle and several cane swords. Of the 43 arrests, 34 already have been indicted for drug-related offenses, Dormer said, and the defendants could face a maximum of 25 years in prison. He said this was just one of many planned sweeps throughout the county.

County Executive Steve Levy called the arrests the "largest sweep of drug activity" in Gordon Heights' history and promised a continued crackdown on crime. "This is a relentless effort," he said. "We will not allow them [drug dealers] to get their hooks into this neighborhood."

District Attorney Thomas Spota also pledged ongoing help from his office. Spota's office received $250,000 in federal funding to assist police with Operation Clean Sweep.

Gordon Heights residents attributed the arrests to the solid relationship between residents and police. "People are taking a lot more pride in this community," said Maxine Wilson, executive chairwoman for the Greater Gordon Heights Civic Association. "People are interacting with each other, and that's what we wanted in the community."

In Nassau County, meanwhile, Long Beach police announced that recent drug raids led to the arrest of six individuals charged with drug-related offenses. Police seized a large amount of crack cocaine and marijuana valued at $50,000, as well as $6,000 in cash, a Cadillac and a stolen .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

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Chelsea terminates contract of Mutu after positive test for cocaine

October 31, 2004


LONDON (AP) - Chelsea has terminated the contract of Romanian striker Adrian Mutu after he tested positive last month for cocaine.

Mutu, 25, still faces a two-year ban from the sport. He agreed last week to undergo drug treatment.

"Chelsea has terminated the contract of Adrian Mutu for gross misconduct," the club said in a statement.

"We want to make clear that Chelsea has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs," the statement added. "This applies to both performance-enhancing drugs or so-called 'recreational' drugs."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho backed the move. Mutu and Mourinho clashed earlier this month over the player's decision to play for Romania in World Cup qualifying despite a knee injury.

"I think the statement is absolutely clear," Mourinho said. "I think some people can agree, some can disagree. But the statement is so clear about the objective of the club and the reasons why the club decided this way."

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon defended the decision.

"You look to players to be role models and he (Mutu) was clearly in breach of contract. The contract is very specific and players who take enhancing or social drugs . . . there is just no room for it."

Gordon Taylor, head of the players' union, said Chelsea wanted to get rid of Mutu and singled him out for drug testing.

"The attitude may be zero tolerance, but you would expect any employer to be interested in the moral and social welfare of its employees," Taylor said. "It is not a policy we would approve of, but it is one we have no surprise at."

The Romanian captain moved to Chelsea almost 15 months ago from Italian club Parma in a transfer reported at 15.8 million pounds ($35.4 million Cdn).

He was impressive early for Chelsea, scoring four goals in his first three games. But he eventually was used sparingly by manager Claudio Ranieri. Mourinho has also left him one the sidelines.

Mutu and Mourinho clashed earlier this month over the player's decision to play for Romania in World Cup qualifying despite a knee injury.

The release by Chelsea means that Mutu would be free to sign with another club. He is valued at about 11 million pounds ($24.6 million Cdn).

Mutu scored 10 goals in 38 appearances for Chelsea, but has made only two appearances this season, both as a substitute. His last appearance was in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sept. 11.

He is the second Chelsea player to be released because of cocaine use. Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich was cut two years ago.

LInk
 
Elvis impersonator gets four years in drugs bust
By JOHN ROBERTSON, The Scotsman
Tue, 2 Nov. 2004

AN ELVIS impersonator was jailed for four years yesterday after being caught with heroin worth up to £100,000.

James Murray, 33, had been acting as a courier for a man who loaned him money to further his career as an entertainer, a court heard.

He panicked when drug squad officers stopped his car, and struck a detective as he drove off at speed. She suffered a minor injury to her hand.

Murray, of Lorne Place, Leith, Edinburgh, admitted being concerned in the supplying of heroin on 21 December last year and driving dangerously in North Junction Street, Leith, and striking Detective Constable Fiona Harrison.

The defence counsel, Alan Muir, said Murray had a business as an entertainer and singer, specialising in Elvis impersonations.

He borrowed money to further his career, but it became clear that the lender wanted to use him as a courier rather than be repaid.

Mr Muir said threats were made and Murray took them very seriously. He was told to pick up a package, which he suspected contained either money or cannabis. "He effectively wanted to get this man off his back," said Mr Muir.

The judge, Lord Wheatley, told Murray that his guilty plea had saved him from a sentence of five or six years.

"It is clear that you were aware that what you were transporting may have been drugs," Lord Wheatley said.

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Drugs 'linked to loyalists'
BBC News
01 November, 2004

Police believe they have uncovered a major loyalist drugs operation in north Belfast, a court has been told.

A Crown lawyer made the claim on Monday at Belfast Magistrates Court as she opposed bail for two men charged with possessing ecstasy with intent to supply.

Mark McMahon, 26, of xxxxx xxxxxxx and John David Robert Smith, 19, of xxxxx xxxxxxxx, Belfast, denied the charges.

The court was told the Class A drugs had a street value of £80,000 and the charges related to police searches of a property in the Flush Road area of north Belfast on 29 October.

The lawyer claimed that the men were found in an outhouse adjacent to the property, close to them lay 6,000 in euros and bags of esctasy tablets which appeared to be ready for distribution.

The lawyer said 10,000 ecstasy tablets were found in grounds to the rear of the property.

She said police also found a quantity of figures with names alongside, which police would link to drug dealing figures.

The lawyer said police believed they had found a major distribution centre, organised by loyalist paramilitaries for the supply of Class A drugs in north Belfast.

'Sophisticated system'

She said that "it was a highly sophisticated and developed system with purpose-built hides in fields".

A detective constable told the court that the seizures were in relation to a planned operation by the drugs squad.

A lawyer for Mr Smith said his client protested his innocence and the sheds in question were pigeon sheds which Mr Smith had been cleaning out when the police raid occurred

A lawyer for Mr McMahon said his client had fully cooperated with the police and had denied any involvement.

The men were remanded in custody until 29 November.

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Another article about the caveman:

Man Found Living in Cave, Growing Pot on Los Alamos Land
2004-11-02
Source: Sun Sentinel
Associated Press

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. - Authorities have evicted a man from a cave on Los Alamos National Laboratory land where they say he apparently lived for years with the comforts of home - a wood-burning stove, solar panels connected to car batteries for electricity and a satellite radio.

Los Alamos Deputy Fire Chief Doug Tucker said Roy Michael Moore's hideaway, which also was equipped with a bed and a glass front door, ws discovered earlier Oct. 13 after a Department of Energy employee working at the Los Alamos site office noticed smoke wafting from the cave in a heavily wooded, steep canyon.

The employee reported the smoke to the fire department. Tucker said the smoke came from Moore's wood-burning stove.

Ten marijuana plants were found outside the cave. Moore, 56, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court documents. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bond.

An officer called to the site by firefighters pulled up the plants and confiscated about 21 ounces of dried marijuana, according to a statement of probable cause filed in magistrate court in Los Alamos.

Tucker said that as fire crews and lab security force members approached the cave after its discovery, they saw Moore and discovered "numerous" marijuana plants growing around the cave.

"From the campsite that I saw, he had been there quite a long time. ... I was really impressed with his ability to set up a camp," Tucker said.

He said it was impossible to see the cave or any sign of Moore from the edge of the 75- to 100-foot cliff above, which is inaccessible because of a tall fence.

The lab has not used the restricted area where the cave is located for years, said Bernie Pleau, a spokesman for the department and the National Nuclear Security Administration in Los Alamos. It is about 50 yards out his office door and down the cliff, he said.

"I don't know if anyone has tried squatting on DOE property before or not," Pleau said. "Pretty strange, don't you think?"

The site was not near any high-security or critical areas, he said.

"It wasn't a security threat by any means," Pleau said.

The DOE ordered the lab to remove all of Moore's property from the area Oct. 16, Pleau said.

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Miami authorities find heroin in juice boxes

Miami authorities find heroin in juice boxes
By Ihosvani Rodriguez, South Florida Sentinel
November 4 2004

It appears that who ever sent a shipment of fruit juice called "Hit Fruit Drink" to Miami last week had a different type of "hit" in mind.

Authorities say they intercepted a shipment of 100 tiny boxes of fruit juice drinks that contained about $1.7 million of liquefied heroin. The 6-ounce boxes, shipped alongside legitimate juice containers, were among five pallets that were traced to Colombia.

Investigators with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were led to the shipment through an anonymous tip. They would not reveal where they made the discovery or when because the investigation continues. But officials said it appears the freight was headed for an individual buyer and not meant for distribution to general markets.

"It was basically a way to disguise the drugs," said agency spokeswoman Nina Pruneda. "It doesn't look like there was a chance of it getting into the general consumers' hands."

Agents said whoever shipped the containers bought them at a grocery store in Colombia, emptied them and then filled them with the drugs. The containers were then relabeled and boxed up.

According to police, drug dealers typically transport heroin in liquid form because it's easier to ship. The liquid is then cooked into a paste and sold in the street, said Miami-Dade Police spokeswoman Nelda Fonticella.

Jesus Torres, the immigration and customs special agent in Miami, said the substance taken in highly concentrated liquid form would be deadly. In addition endangering the public, Torres said, it is possible that Hit Corp., the company that bottles the juice, would now be tainted by "the actions of reckless drug traffickers."

Thomas S. Winkowski, the director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is collaborating in the investigation, said that hiding drugs in places such as fruit juice containers it is not entirely unusual.

"We have seen narcotics concealed as beer, candy, peanuts and baby formula," Winkowski said.

In September, the agency seized 2,195 pounds of compressed marijuana hidden in a cargo container that arrived at the Port of Miami from Trinidad and Tobago.

[snip]

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HEROIN FOUND IN CHRISTMAS TREES
BBC News
November 3, 2004

Heroin with a street value estimated to be about UKP4m has been seized by customs officers at Harwich.

A van loaded with Christmas trees was stopped after leaving the high-speed ferry from Holland and 75kg of the drugs were discovered after a search.

A 49-year-old driver from Swindon was arrested and was being questioned by customs officers at the port on Wednesday night.

Jim Jarvie, of HM Customs, said seizing the haul was a major success.

The assistant chief investigating officer said: "This seizure has prevented a large quantity of Class A drugs hitting the streets of the UK.

"In line with the government's drug strategy, HM Customs continues to work with agencies in the UK and beyond to protect the public from being exposed to the harm these drugs produce."

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Reputed 'godfather' of Israeli mob held on Miami drug charges
By Ann W. O'Neill, Sun-Sentinel
November 8 2004

The reputed "godfather" of the Israeli mob was arrested in Tel Aviv early Monday on a criminal complaint out of Miami accusing him of trafficking in the illegal club drug Ecstasy.

Ze'ev Rosenstein, 51, who has survived at least seven attempts on his life, surrounds himself with bodyguards and travels in an armored limousine, was taken into custody as he left a hotel in Israel.

His arrest was announced at a joint news conferences in Israel and the United States, where authorities said Rosentein was one of the most wanted drug traffickers in the world.

Authorities have long accused Rosenstein being an Israeli mob leader, and the Israeli police sometimes refer to him as "Public Enemy No. 1."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has identified Rosenstein as a dominant force on the world Ecstasy market, and the U.S. Department of Justice had named him as a priority organized crime target.

Describing Rosenstein as "one of the worst of the worst," U.S. Attorney Marcos Jimenez told reporters in Miami, "This is the kind of Ecstasy case we should be focusing on."

Rosenstein is accused of masterminding the sale of 700,000 Ecstasy tablets to dealers in New York and Miami in 2001. The Ecstasy, along with $179,000 in cash, was seized during a raid.

The three-year investigation received a boost from increased cooperation between law enforcement officials in Israel, the United States and Europe.

The investigation was stepped up after a December bombing that targeted Rosenstein killed three passersby and injured 18 in Tel Aviv's business center. Rosenstein escaped with scratches.

imenez said it would take months for Rosenstein to be brought from Israel for trial.

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HASH OIL BURNS HOME
Parents Cooked Drugs, Not Breakfast For Kids
By Paul Turenne, Winnipeg Sun
November 8, 2004


At a time when many people would be cooking bacon and eggs, a North End couple spent their Saturday morning making something a little less traditional._ A kitchen fire broke out about 9 a.m._ Saturday in a house at xxx xxxxxxx xxxx_ as the residents, parents of four young children, were cooking drugs on the stove.

"These parents, rather than feeding these kids breakfast, are cooking hash oil on the stove, and that's simply unacceptable," said Const._ Shelly Glover, a spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Police Service.

"There is obviously a concern that these children were placed in grave danger."

The resin-extraction process caused the kitchen to go up in flames._ The couple rushed their four children, age one to 10, outside and no one was hurt.

But when the fire department came and put out the blaze, firefighters discovered a marijuana grow operation in one of the bedrooms.

COUPLE CHARGED

They seized grow equipment and 35 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $41,000.

The couple, a 30-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man, face charges of drug possession and trafficking._ They have been released on promises to appear.

"I figured something not so terrific was going on in that place," said area resident Larice Sych, who said the couple had lived in the house at the end of xxxxx xxxxx along the Red River about a year._ "It's a terrible problem house."

"I saw people going in and out of there all the time," said area resident Carrie Anderson._ "I thought maybe they had lots of relatives who visited them."

Alvin Crozier, who also lives nearby, said the news that the house was a grow operation was no shock in a neighbourhood that has its share of bad seeds.

"Around here it doesn't surprise me, unfortunately," he said._ "I'd like it out of the area completely, but unfortunately I don't think it's going to change."

The fire was confined to the kitchen, but caused $60,000 in damage._ The marijuana grow operation does not appear to be related to other grow ops busted recently that were linked to Asian organized crime, said Glover._

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Arrests Made in Alleged OxyContin Ring

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press Writer

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Reputed street gang members, organized crime associates and at least two pharmacists were arrested Thursday, accused of being part of a ring that sold the powerful painkiller OxyContin in the Boston area, authorities said.

Authorities were still carrying out search and arrest warrants Thursday morning, and planned to release additional details later in the day.

At least two pharmacists, two members of the Bloods street gang and "two known organized crime associates" had been arrested by midmorning, Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow said.

The ring operated from Arizona to Boston, and was based in New Jersey, said Robert O'Leary, a Union County prosecutor.

"This case is highly unique in that it involves traditional organized crime figures, street gangs and pharmacists selling OxyContin in huge quantities over the counter," O'Leary said. "They were all making megabucks doing this.

"The OxyContin wound up in the greater Boston area, where it wound up on the street," he said.

OxyContin was initially hailed as a breakthrough in the treatment of severe chronic pain when it was introduced in 1996. The drug has become a problem in recent years, however, after drug abusers discovered that crushing the time-release tablets and snorting or injecting the powder yields an immediate, heroin-like high.

The drug has been implicated in more than 100 overdose deaths nationwide.

Prescription painkillers such as OxyContin now rank second to marijuana as the most-abused drugs in the country, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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