Crime Correspondent

Jeffery Obianika ingested 66 wraps of cocaine

Jeffery Obianika ingested 66 wraps of cocaine

36-year-old refrigerator dealer, Jeffery Obianika said that 3,000 Euro promised was irresistible for him because of the financial difficulti...

Kelvin Ojigbo found to have inserted eight wraps of cocaine

Kelvin Ojigbo, 29-year-old motor spare parts dealer based in Spain for over 10 years claimed to be a drug addict. He was found to have inser...

Nelson Carrasquillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin

Nelson Carrasquillo's crimes were "extraordinarily dangerous" to the community because they threatened to erode the public's trust in police officers."What you did you did for greed and just for your own personal gratification, that will reflect on police everywhere," Young said.He said corrupt police officers "may be rare, but you are one."Carrasquillo was part of a trio of officers snarled in one of the more embarrassing scandals in Boston Police Department history. The case raised concerns about wider corruption in the department after testimony in one defendant's trial revealed potentially troubling conduct by other officers. It prompted Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis to publicly vow to press for the strictest sanctions against officers who violate the law. Carrasquillo, dressed in an orange prison uniform, apologized before the sentencing to the court, his family and his supporters. In November, the 36-year-old Dorchester resident pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin and two counts of attempted aiding and abetting the scheme. "Have mercy on me," said Carrasquillo, who also received five years of probation. He described the last several months as a learning experience and said he would like "the opportunity to give back." His lawyer, Stephen Neyman of Boston, said in an interview after the proceedings that he would appeal the sentence. He was seeking about eight years, significantly less than the nearly 20-year maximum the judge calculated in court yesterday afternoon under federal sentencing guidelines. Neyman called Carrasquillo's role in the scheme minor, emphasizing he was a reluctant participant. But both the prosecutor, Assistant US Attorney John T. McNeil, and the judge said yesterday that Carrasquillo was a sort of middleman. Carrasquillo was recruited by another police officer, Roberto "Kiko" Pulido, in late 2005 to pitch in with a drug smuggling scheme. Carrasquillo then recruited a third officer, Carlos Pizarro. On April 23, 2006, Carrasquillo assisted Pulido with a drug deal by providing counter-surveillance and monitoring Police Department radio channels while a transfer of 40 kilograms of cocaine took place at a garage on Washington Street in Boston, according to the US attorney's office.In exchange for their assistance, the two officers split a $20,000 payment.Then, on June 8, 2006, the three officers guided a truck containing about 100 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of more than $2 million from Western Massachusetts to the Washington Street garage, according to the US attorney's office.Once in Boston, Carrasquillo provided surveillance while another truck picked up the cocaine. They were paid a total of $51,000 by FBI agents posing as drug dealers.The three officers were arrested in Miami in July 2006 by federal agents, who had been investigating the officers for months.The undercover agents, shortly before arresting the three, secured an agreement from the officers to protect another drug shipment: 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of heroin.Pizzaro, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced in December to 13 years in prison. Next month, Williams will consider a possible sentence of more than 20 years for Pulido, who has pleaded guilty to weapon and narcotics charges.Yesterday, more than a dozen of Carrasquillo's relatives and friends, some with tears in their eyes, sat in two wooden rows of the courtroom and watched as a US marshal handcuffed him and escorted him out of the courtroom. A few of them told Carrasquillo they loved him.A woman Neyman identified as Carrasquillo's wife said little as she walked out of the courtroom with her family.

Nelson Carrasquillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin

Nelson Carrasquillo's crimes were "extraordinarily dangerous" to the community because they threatened to erode the public...

Jamieson Andrew Santos,Joseph Frank Micalizzi aircraft had been operating out of Narrabri Airport

Jamieson Andrew Santos, 37, and his passenger, Joseph Frank Micalizzi, 24.Santos gave a Tamworth Post Office box as his address.Both men have been charged with possessing methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply and supply and possess MDMA (ecstasy) with intent to sell or supply. As of late yesterday no arrests had been made in relation to Sunday’s Pilliga State Forest cannabis crop discovery. The raid was made within 25km of Narrabri.Western Australian police had arrested the two men as part of Wednesday’s $77 million drug bust.NSW police said a Narrabri local recognised the men’s plane from the news coverage on Friday. The person told NSW officers the aircraft had been operating out of Narrabri Airport.A car has since been seized for forensic examination at Narrabri Airport. “We seized (a) car (allegedly the property of Santos) and executed a search warrant at a local property,” Inspector Mick Bostock of Narrabri police told The Leader yesterday.“We seized just under 300 cannabis plants being grown in a sophisticated setup. We also seized lighting equipment, air air conditioners pumps and other equipment.”Ispector Bostock confirmed North Western police had liaised closely with the organised crime unit of Western Australian police.Only 25 of the plants were seedlings. The rest were in various stages of development.Santos and Micalizzi both appeared in Perth Magistrate’s Court on Friday.The pair were remanded in custody and are set to reappear in Perth Magistrate’s Court on April 3. “The real issue for the police is the original source of the drugs... and who they were going to be delivered to,” the spokesperson said. “I suspect more arrests can be anticipated over the same matter in the weeks to come.” Police have estimated the value of the methylamphetamine at “at least” $75 million while the ecstasy tablets are believed to worth at least $1.8 million.

Jamieson Andrew Santos,Joseph Frank Micalizzi aircraft had been operating out of Narrabri Airport

Jamieson Andrew Santos, 37, and his passenger, Joseph Frank Micalizzi, 24.Santos gave a Tamworth Post Office box as his address.Both men hav...

Salaam Abdullah Muhammad Sr held on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felonious assault, malicious use of a telephone,

Salaam Abdullah Muhammad Sr., 57, is being held on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, felonious assault, malicious use of a te...

Hermágoras Gonzales Polanco aka Fatty Gonzalez arrested five million dollar reward

Gonzalez's lawyer, Freddy Ferrer, told the private TV channel Globovision on Sunday that his client is innocent and criticized his "illegal and illegitimate detention" by a counter-drug squad at a ranch in western VenezuelaU.S. and Colombian officials have alleged that corrupt Venezuelan military officers protected Gonzalez. President Hugo Chavez, meanwhile, has accused Washington and Bogota of unfairly labeling Venezuela a drug haven for political reasons.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gWz6DVnnl9VGjcNCszlwyY2sRB9W65aQ5TCCuQX3b0rxb-MIFoPBMlhNY44NgxirAX0XafhE-D_ZBEuOSep9dBBgK-g4H-B9osOs3570iGb4drWLMYYKnbLf7cdy-Per9JhkVLeSUgg/s1600-h/foto%2520(3419111).jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176209811509780658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9gWz6DVnnl9VGjcNCszlwyY2sRB9W65aQ5TCCuQX3b0rxb-MIFoPBMlhNY44NgxirAX0XafhE-D_ZBEuOSep9dBBgK-g4H-B9osOs3570iGb4drWLMYYKnbLf7cdy-Per9JhkVLeSUgg/s320/foto%2520(3419111).jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Venezuela's national guard arrested Hermagoras Gonzalez close to the border with Colombia yesterday, the television station Globovision reported.The Venezuelan police have arrested a suspected drugs and weapons smuggler wanted in the United States. The US authorities have offered a five million dollar reward for the arrest of Hermágoras Gonzales Polanco, who has ties with the Colombian Guajira cartel.He is suspected of smuggling large quantities of cocaine into the US and weapons, destined for paramilitary groups, from Europe into Colombia. Mr Gonzalez was arrested at the border with Colombia, together with 48 suspected paramilitaries.Washington has regularly accused Venezuela of doing too little to prevent the transport of drugs to the US. Venezuelan authorities have arrested a suspected drug lord and arms smuggler with paramilitary links wanted in the US on charges of trafficking cocaine, a television station reported today. The US State Department offers a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Gonzalez, known as "Fatty Gonzalez", who it accuses of sending large quantities of cocaine into America, including 9 tonnes in just one year. The State Department says Gonzalez ran the Guajira cartel in Colombia and smuggled arms from Europe through Venezuela to support the activities of a paramilitary group fighting Marxist guerrillas in Colombia.One of the U.S. government's most-wanted drug trafficking suspects has been captured in Venezuela and should be tried in the South American country, the justice minister said Monday.The United States had offered a reward of up to $5 million for the arrest of Hermagoras Gonzalez Polanco, and Justice Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin said he was detained on Saturday. "I think he should be tried here in Venezuela," Rodriguez told reporters. "We aren't afraid of investigating here in Venezuela."He said authorities believe Gonzalez has committed crimes in Venezuela, and they would investigate whether some officials him with official identification cards. Images of a National Guard ID card purportedly held by Gonzalez circulated after his capture."We don't hide the truth," Rodriguez said, pledging that anyone who might have aided him will be prosecuted.U.S. authorities accuse Gonzalez of leading a drug ring known as the Guajira cartel and say he helped smuggle many tons of cocaine to the U.S.The U.S. State Department also says Gonzalez was reportedly a member of a right-wing Colombian paramilitary faction involved in smuggling arms from Europe through Venezuela to Colombia in the La Guajira border region.Gonzalez has been indicted in New Jersey on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and in New York on drug trafficking charges. Though U.S. authorities say he was born in Maicao, Colombia, his lawyer said Gonzalez was born in Venezuela. The justice minister said Gonzalez is thought to be Colombian.Gonzalez has used aliases including "Gordito" — or "Fatso" — while leading the cartel in the past decade with partner Salomon Camacho Mora, according to a reward listing by the U.S. State Department's counter-drug bureau.It said the two are accused of smuggling up to 10 tons of cocaine to the United States in 1999 and 2000 alone, and that their cartel has also employed extortion and murder. Gonzalez and Camacho are accused of having strong links to drug trafficking organizations in the Dominican Republic.

Hermágoras Gonzales Polanco aka Fatty Gonzalez arrested five million dollar reward

Gonzalez's lawyer, Freddy Ferrer, told the private TV channel Globovision on Sunday that his client is innocent and criticized his ...

Michael Bruce Tribbey charged with possession of opium

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VubJ6F1tWyfhzddlLrq3qVOmLbeCaRhDoAJI2oGKoyLJ8XU88tBxyVcwtlKkWzKMxqOHmZ8UY2nPVTb86OtoDWrJP-bZA4KkOtBuWeOssGOVnN4mFBYLKbRjYpsXgCIksjzipjWW9z8/s1600-h/Tribbey,%2BMichael.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176140632471543938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VubJ6F1tWyfhzddlLrq3qVOmLbeCaRhDoAJI2oGKoyLJ8XU88tBxyVcwtlKkWzKMxqOHmZ8UY2nPVTb86OtoDWrJP-bZA4KkOtBuWeOssGOVnN4mFBYLKbRjYpsXgCIksjzipjWW9z8/s400/Tribbey,%2BMichael.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Michael Bruce Tribbey, 20, 145 21 St. S.W., Golden Gate, was charged with possession of opium, smuggling contraband into a detention facility, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine and possession of narcotic equipment.Reports say Tribbey was behind the wheel of a car that was parked in driveway with the headlights on outside Pelican Larry’s, 1046 Pine Ridge Road, around 2:30 a.m. Tribbey’s passenger was arrested when he got out of the car and dropped a small bag of marijuana to the ground. A search of Tribbey’s car turned up a marijuana pipe packed with half-smoked marijuana and a pack of rolling papers in the center console. A small “cake” of marijuana was found in between the seats.Tribbey handed deputies a bag of marijuana from his boxer shorts as he was being patted down.Tribbey denied having any more drugs on him.At the jail, a search of Tribbey turned up another bag of marijuana, which fell from his boxer shorts, and a folded $20 bill with white powder inside.

Michael Bruce Tribbey charged with possession of opium

Michael Bruce Tribbey, 20, 145 21 St. S.W., Golden Gate, was charged with possession of opium, smuggling contraband into a detention facilit...

Fausto Gonzalez ,Ardeen McGarry arrested in Aberdeen after authorities say they found $15,000 worth of cocaine

Two people have been arrested in Aberdeen after authorities say they found $15,000 worth of cocaine. Police also recovered $9,000 in cash a...

Jesus Vargas arrested in Hartford Sunday morning after police found hundreds of bags of heroin

Jesus Vargas, of Park Terrace, is charged with taking a motor vehicle without permission, possession of narcotics, possession with intent to...

Clinton “South” Rodriguez,charged with one count of possession of heroin

Clinton “South” Rodriguez, 30, was charged with one count of possession of heroin with the intent to distribute the drug, a week after he wa...

Mark Simmons, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply on January 20 but denied supplying the drug between December

Mark Simmons, 28, of Belle Vue Street, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply on January 20 but denied supplying the drug betwee...

George A. Freeman,Patrick L. Sams charged with the transportation of narcotic drugs for sale and possession of narcotic drugs for sale

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oqcyx2JofeNx5EG1ZnbuJWZh2WF1n-dwDPh2nes8b5jlpzjYmgp_z_M6bASVENyOwt0PlM6cVN1euM_bXZRmYKyxHzsinbi3PXM1_OdyLkje-wCIIuFH7I7V5D5rchqxsWGxjZgPylE/s1600-h/IMGA0444.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175779782204235746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oqcyx2JofeNx5EG1ZnbuJWZh2WF1n-dwDPh2nes8b5jlpzjYmgp_z_M6bASVENyOwt0PlM6cVN1euM_bXZRmYKyxHzsinbi3PXM1_OdyLkje-wCIIuFH7I7V5D5rchqxsWGxjZgPylE/s320/IMGA0444.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Sgt. Brad Elliott says an officer stopped a pickup truck towing a trailer on Interstate 40 about noon Friday and became suspicious after the driver and passenger appeared nervous. A search eventually turned up a hidden compartment in the trailer that was stuffed with the drugs. Friday on Interstate 40.The officer was patrolling the eastbound I-40 at about noon when he stopped a black Ford F350 just east of the Walnut Canyon exit for following too closely. He found the driver and the passenger, the truck's owner, nervous. Both gave conflicting stories. Both men gave the officer consent to search the truck, and he called for a K-9 unit to assist. The dog "alerted" on the truck and officers began searching the vehicle."They were underneath it, found a lot of indicators that the vehicle had been ... tooled, giving further rise in suspicion that something was amiss," said DPS Sgt. Brad Elliott.When they got to the small trailer hauling an ATV, one officer started banging on the bed. He noticed that the sounds were different, especially toward the front.That's where the officers uncovered 30 kilograms of cocaine, or about 66 pounds, bundled in black electrical tape and concealed under a false floor near the tongue. The access point was by way of the light housing, which concealed bolts that kept a flip-down panel in place in front of a sliding metal plate. The cocaine was bound from Tucson to Iowa. The drugs have an estimated street value of about $480,000.Police seized the truck, trailer and ATV, along with the drugs and $12,000 in cash.Driver George A. Freeman, 34, of Tucson, and passenger Patrick L. Sams, 54, of Anamosa, Iowa, were booked into the Coconino County jail on charges of transportation of narcotic drugs for sale and possession of narcotic drugs for sale.

George A. Freeman,Patrick L. Sams charged with the transportation of narcotic drugs for sale and possession of narcotic drugs for sale

Sgt. Brad Elliott says an officer stopped a pickup truck towing a trailer on Interstate 40 about noon Friday and became suspicious after the...

George N. Magalhaes traded his 19-speed purple mountain bike for four rocks of crack cocaine

George N. Magalhaes, 35, of the 1700 block of Avenue D, approached an undercover St. Lucie County sheriff's detective to purchase rock c...

Stephen David Royds under investigation for selling and possessing cocaine and being involved in a death.

Police have found the "well preserved" body of a woman packed in a container with dry ice in a hotel room in California. Detective...

Joshua A. Surrell is expected to face charges of possession of heroin.

Joshua A. Surrell, 24, of Montpelier is being held at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury pending his April 11 arraignment at Vermont District Court in Barre.Among the charges Surrell is expected to face include possession of heroin.Surrell's arrest Friday comes only five months after he was convicted on a charge of selling heroin last September.Police said Surrell was sentenced to serve up to five years based on that conviction and was participating in the state Department of Corrections conditional re-entry program. According to police, members of the corrections departments field supervisory unit allegedly discovered "several individual bags of heroin" and $535 in cash during a routine residential check of Surrell's apartment late Friday afternoon. FSU personnel contacted Montpelier police shortly before 5:30 p.m. and Sgt. Wayne Cochran applied for and eventually obtained a search warrant for the residence. According to Cochran, the apartment was searched with the assistance of Vermont State Police Academy K-9 Trainer Robert Ryan and a drug-sniffing dog shortly after 9 p.m.Cochran said the search uncovered 145 bags of heroin, a small amount of cocaine and a scale.He estimated the street value of the heroin at approximately $6,000. Although Cochran declined to discuss the case in detail at this time, he said the drugs were hidden in the residence and did not appear to be for personal use. "It was packaged in a manner that would lead us to believe he was going to sell it," he said.In addition to the drug charge, Cochran said Surrell is facing a furlough violation.

Joshua A. Surrell is expected to face charges of possession of heroin.

Joshua A. Surrell, 24, of Montpelier is being held at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury pending his April 11 arr...

Michael Summers had 35 bags of heroin, Suboxone, a narcotic, and $860 in cash, police said

arrested Michael Summers, 22, of 19 Greenbrier Lane, at a home on Johnson Avenue in Sayville on Thursday. Summers had 35 bags of heroin, Suboxone, a narcotic, and $860 in cash, police said. Police searched Summers' home Friday and found $4,020 in cash and 660 bags of heroin valued at $13,000, they said. Police also found hashish, 2 ounces of marijuana, OxyContin and counterfeit money.Summers was charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $150,000, and he was taken to Suffolk County Correctional Facility. An appearance was scheduled for Thursday.Also Friday, investigators found more than 10 pounds of marijuana plants in Rocky Point, police said. Seventh Squad officers arrested Alan McMaugh, 53, of 24 Overhill Rd., after they found the plants in his basement.Fourth Squad narcotics officers assisted police at the home, where they found a hydroponic system including growing lights, water pumps, filters, fans, fertilizer and carbon dioxide tanks, police said. They estimated the equipment's value at $5,000. "He was a pretty handy guy," said Sgt. William Bundrick of the Seventh Squad. "He did most of it himself."The marijuana had a street value of between $10,000 and $15,000, police said. More than $20,000 in cash was also seized. McMaugh was charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana and unlawfully dealing in fireworks. He was being held at the county jail on $150,000 cash or $450,000 bond.

Michael Summers had 35 bags of heroin, Suboxone, a narcotic, and $860 in cash, police said

arrested Michael Summers, 22, of 19 Greenbrier Lane, at a home on Johnson Avenue in Sayville on Thursday. Summers had 35 bags of heroin, Sub...

Anthony Johnson was allegedly carrying 69 bags of cocaine

Anthony Johnson, 24, was allegedly carrying 69 bags of cocaine after a foot pursuit in the area of Sinnickson and Eakin streets here last week, authorities said.  arrested by members of the Salem County Sheriff's Department's Warrant Unit who were assisted by Salem City Police Department officers on Wesley Street after the brief chase. In addition to the suspected 69 bags of cocaine, Johnson also allegedly was found to be in possession of two bags of suspected cocaine and what the Sheriff's Department described as a "sizeable" amount of cash. Citizens who witnessed the chase told offices that they were glad to see Johnson apprehended, according to the Sheriff's Department. Johnson was charged with resisting arrest/eluding, possession of a controlled dangerous substance suspected cocaine and marijuana possession with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances and possession with intent to distributed a controlled dangerous substance in a school zone. Johnson was served with outstanding warrants for a prior outstanding possession of marijuana charge from Salem City, two traffic warrants from Carneys Point for driving while suspended, and two Salem City traffic warrants for driving while suspended and operating an uninsured vehicle, authorities said. Salem County Sheriff Chuck Miller said community support and inter-department cooperation such as in Johnson's arrest are key to successful law enforcement. Johnson was lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility in lieu of $35,000 cash bail.

Anthony Johnson was allegedly carrying 69 bags of cocaine

Anthony Johnson, 24, was allegedly carrying 69 bags of cocaine after a foot pursuit in the area of Sinnickson and Eakin streets here last we...

Eighteen rolls of bhang, cocaine sachets and a cocktail of assorted drugs were netted in the two-hour operation in Mombasa

Police in Mombasa Friday evening arrested seventy suspected drug traffickers as the fight against the illegal trade intensified. It was a ca...

Bechar province, south west Algeria 20 hundredweights of cannabis siezed

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqJSAgAeGerUHP-N5pcc2wiCB5M5yhHt318B3ccPFOTl58BCL6uTDggRv62LJfw88gNvaRX7RNM89g8G0Fsu8DooeBYGeljiYydS3gYC6TGTgKGYlU7S7hukeLI5_oyct6BWVbaIXdGg/s1600-h/ph-03_copy.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175568456928370626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqJSAgAeGerUHP-N5pcc2wiCB5M5yhHt318B3ccPFOTl58BCL6uTDggRv62LJfw88gNvaRX7RNM89g8G0Fsu8DooeBYGeljiYydS3gYC6TGTgKGYlU7S7hukeLI5_oyct6BWVbaIXdGg/s320/ph-03_copy.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> Borders Guards patrol in Bechar province, south west Algeria, have seized as much as 20 hundredweights of cannabis. The huge narcotics quantity has been discovered on board of 2 4-wd cars, which have been seized too. The same Guards patrol has recuperated 5420 cartons of unlicensed cigarettes and 2 motorcycles. In this context, the Borders Guards routine patrol last weekend have noticed two smugglers exchanging goods quantities close to the Moroccan borders, at a place named Oued Arid, 50km far from the place in which the narcotics quantity has been discovered, according to the National Gendarmerie regional Commander, Colonel Blidi Mohamed Salah. The patrol elements have tracked down the smugglers, who unfortunately have managed to escape after abandoning 2-wd cars, and 2 motorcycles.Furthermore, Colonel Blidi indicated that another patrol at Oum Lasel borderline region, have recuperated 88 camels when the smugglers were intending to infiltrate them to Morocco. The racking operation the Borders Guards have launched relying on information obtained in the eve of the last week event, has enabled a patrol at Tabelbala region, to recuperate as much as 2 hundredweights of cannabis.

Bechar province, south west Algeria 20 hundredweights of cannabis siezed

Borders Guards patrol in Bechar province, south west Algeria, have seized as much as 20 hundredweights of cannabis. The huge narcotics quant...

Two men convicted of drug smuggling were beheaded by the sword.

Saudi police have foiled an attempt to smuggle 140 kilograms (308 pounds) of hashish from neighbouring Yemen, SPA state news agency reported...

Juan Pablo Ramos ,Armando Leal,Irene Andriani, Olga Gioe, Luis Gautier and Michael Joseph Rivello,arrested major heroin organization

Juan Pablo Ramos referred to apartment 2B of 242 East 75th Street in the Upper East Side of Manhattan as "the office," and he and associates ground down kilograms of heroin, packaging it into glassine envelopes in a studio which overlooks the playground of the Robert F. Wagner Middle School. It is estimated that the organization was distributing more than four kilograms of heroin per month, grossing approximately $4 million per year. The heroin was allegedly sold wholesale to street level dealers in the Upper East Side, West Village, Gramercy Park and East Harlem, already packaged in $10 bags. The investigation reportedly began with an arrest for a street-level sale by Manhattan South Narcotics detectives, and was coordinated with the Special Narcotics Prosecutors Office and Drug Enforcement Task Force on identifying the source of supply. Arrested on Wednesday were Juan Pablo Ramos and Armando Leal, both Colombian nationals. Ramos was the main target of the seven-month investigation. He was apprehended when a New York Drug Enforcement Task Force team conducted search operations at the Manhattan apartment and Ramos's $5,600 a month rental apartment in New Jersey. Police say Ramos was taking heroin from an open safe and setting up to package it into glassine bags when police gained entry to the 75th Street location. Approximately 1.5 kilos of heroin, valued at more than $100,000, were recovered from the safe along with glassine bags and other drug paraphernalia, police said. Late Thursday night, investigators and detectives arrested Irene Andriani, Olga Gioe, Luis Gautier and Michael Joseph Rivello, all believed to be heroin retailers who purchased bundles of hundreds of glassines of heroin from the organization for resale to individual purchasers. Also arrested was Manhattan Court Officer William Moser, who was apprehended along with Andriani at a supermarket at 130 Bleeker Street. He is believed to be a customer of Andriani. Police say Moser had three glassines of heroin in his possession worth $30 and had his court-issued firearm at the time of his arrest. Ramos is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $300,000.

Juan Pablo Ramos ,Armando Leal,Irene Andriani, Olga Gioe, Luis Gautier and Michael Joseph Rivello,arrested major heroin organization

Juan Pablo Ramos referred to apartment 2B of 242 East 75th Street in the Upper East Side of Manhattan as "the office," and he and ...

Lauren Cullen prosecution did not oppose Cullen's application for bail, saying she was the mule in an extensive commercial operation.

Lauren Cullen, 24, is one of three people charged with trafficking a commercial quantity of a controlled drug.She was arrested at the Adelai...

Rodney MacRobert caught with a hacksaw, an axe and a bag of cannabis bush

Rodney MacRobert, 38, was caught with a hacksaw, an axe and a bag of cannabis bush on Bolckow Road, Grangetown, on June 10 last year.He said he was on his way to Corus to steal copper cable to sell as scrap.In a search of his home on South Terrace, South Bank, the next day, officers found 14 £10 bags of amphetamine, totalling 12.4g.They also discovered more cannabis, electronic scales, a diary containing lists of names and figures and £65 cash.This, as well as texts on his mobile phone, were consistent with drug dealing, prosecutor Patricia Mancina told Teesside Crown Court. MacRobert told police he sold amphetamine to fund his habit, dealt for a week-and-a-half, and borrowed from his mother to buy his stock. MacRobert admitted possession of the Class B drug with intent to supply, possession of cannabis and going equipped for theft.He also breached a community order imposed in January 2007 for possession of Class A, B and C drugs and allowing his home to be use for the sale of amphetamine - which he said he was bullied into after finds of magic mushrooms, amphetamine and cannabis in a police raid.Kristian Mills, defending, said MacRobert had been addicted to amphetamines for ten years, but had now stopped taking the drug.MacRobert was abandoned by his parents as a child and spiralled into crime and drugs. He breached the community order because he went to the Worthing area to care for his terminally ill father.Judge Peter Armstrong told MacRobert: “You’re on the brink of going to prison.”But he suspended a nine-month jail sentence for two years with supervision.He added: “Your future’s in your hands.”

Rodney MacRobert caught with a hacksaw, an axe and a bag of cannabis bush

Rodney MacRobert, 38, was caught with a hacksaw, an axe and a bag of cannabis bush on Bolckow Road, Grangetown, on June 10 last year.He said...

Rodney Conrad Alexander,Gordon Nielsen,Karif Walker and Maurice Antonio Wright. arrested

Orlando police conducted what was described as a "zero-tolerance" operation at a downtown parking garage to combat violence after nightclubs close. Orange County deputy sheriffs zoned in on an area near Pine Hills and Silver Star roads in response to tips. In addition to the arrests, at least five guns and more than a pound of marijuana were seized.The Orlando operation spanned more than three hours at the parking garage at 53 W. Central Boulevard."Usually, when the clubs let out we have problems in the garage," Orlando Ppolice Sgt. Barbara Jones said. Fights and a kidnapping have been reported recently in the area targeted early Thursday. Lt. Sue Brown said 32 people were arrested, including eight on felony charges. Three handguns were recovered, as was marijuana, some Ecstasy pills and cocaine. "We don't want drugs down here. We do not want guns down here. We don't want fights," Brown said. "We're not going to tolerate this. Every once in a while we're going to do this sort of thing."In the Pine Hills area, Orange County deputy sheriffs focused on the parking lot of a drugstore on Silver Star Road and arrested four men in three separate cases. Arrested were Rodney Conrad Alexander, Gordon Nielsen, Karif Walker and Maurice Antonio Wright. "We have a systemic drug problem in Orange County, particularly within this Silver Star corridor," Cpl. John Parks said. "Where there's drugs, there's violence." He said authorities seized two handguns, which he said were stolen and likely used during a robbery, and more than a pound of marijuana. Two suspects, both convicted felons, were being held without bail at the Orange County jail on concealed-weapon and other charges. In Osceola, authorities arrested 29 people with active felony warrants. Drug paraphernalia and one assault weapon also were recovered

Rodney Conrad Alexander,Gordon Nielsen,Karif Walker and Maurice Antonio Wright. arrested

Orlando police conducted what was described as a "zero-tolerance" operation at a downtown parking garage to combat violence after ...

Alan Dobson has been convicted of trafficking in class A drugs

Alan Dobson has been convicted of trafficking in class A drugs on three separate occasions in just over ten years.But Recorder Peter Barrie not only ruled it would be unjust to pass the seven year custodial term he decided he did not need to go to jail for the offence.Instead he imposed a one year suspended sentence on the 33-year-old meaning he will only serve the time if he fails to comply with the orders of the court.Dobson was found with hundreds of pounds worth of crack cocaine and thousands in cash after he was caught acting suspiciously outside the designer outlet village. Jonathan Stanniland, prosecuting, told Swindon crown court how security guards and police were suspicious of group of three on Saturday June 23 last year. They were detained at about 5pm and while the others were being spoken to Dobson was seen to remove something from his clothing and put it down the front of his trousers. "When he was told he was going to be searched he took the item from down his trousers, it was about the size of tangerine, and placed it in his mouth despite the protestations of the officers," he said.Dobson then swallowed the package and was taken to hospital for fear that he may suffer an overdose or other ill health as a result of it.However several hours later he passed the package naturally and it was found to contain 10.7 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of about £530. He also had £2,100 on him in cash and when his house was searched police found £70 in counterfeit currency, two samurai swords and a .22 air rifle.When he was questioned he said despite being on benefits he had saved the money to buy his partner a car and the drugs were for his own use only.The court heard that Dobson had 101 previous convictions including two matters relating to dealing in heroin. In 1997 at Bristol crown court he was jailed for 18 months for supplying heroin and two years later put on probation for supplying heroin and possession with intent to supply.Dobson, formerly of Southwick Avenue, Penhill, pleaded guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply and obstructing a police officer. Rob Ross, defending, said his client was facing a mandatory seven year sentence unless the circumstances of any of the offences or the offender meant it was unjust to do so. He said the first conviction related to a drugs operation in the Parks area of Swindon which Dobson "accidentally" got caught up in. The police were targeting a dealer who had come to the town and recruited locals to sell for him when Dobson tried to sell some drugs he had bought to an undercover cop. Mr Ross said while the main dealer got eight or nine years most of the others got three year jail terms with Dobson the shortest at 18 months. The second time he said his client had simply been sharing drugs with his girlfriend so it was not drug dealing as such. He said the latest offence took place when Dobson was in a downward spiral of addiction after his younger brother had died from an overdose. Mr Ross said his client was taking heroin and crack cocaine and selling some to friends in what he called "not a large scale operation".He said his client had never had the benefit of a drug rehabilitation requirement in the past and until he spent a week inside on remand had not been to custody for a long time. Passing a one year jail term suspended for two years the judge said he would be on supervision for 18 months and a drug rehabilitation requirement run by the Inclusion unit for six months.Dobson will have to complete an alcohol and substance related offending programme and forfeit the drugs, money and weapons. He told him "I don't know if you see drug rehabilitation as a soft option. I hope you understand from your contact with Inclusion that it is a very demanding programme

Alan Dobson has been convicted of trafficking in class A drugs

Alan Dobson has been convicted of trafficking in class A drugs on three separate occasions in just over ten years.But Recorder Peter Barrie ...

Haresh Kutappan was sentenced to four years in prison last week for dealing drugs

Haresh Kutappan was sentenced to four years in prison last week for dealing drugs out of his Halifax apartment.The 30-year-old native of Malaysia came to Canada on a student visa in 1997. He lived in British Columbia for a few years, earned a computer science degree and later moved to Halifax in hopes of finding employment.But he soon lost his job at a local call centre and found himself without work or a place to live.That’s when the young man started selling drugs to survive. The career choice was lucrative but short-lived.Police arrested Mr. Kutappan on Oct. 4 for remaining in the country after his student visa had expired. The arrest led to a search of his Robie Street apartment and the discovery of Mr. Kutappan’s drug stash.Officers seized about 1,100 grams of marijuana, 85 grams of powdered cocaine,15 grams of magic mushrooms and 281 ecstasy pills. They also seized $11,150 and various drug paraphernalia, including packaging material, measuring devices and score sheets.At first, Mr. Kutappan pleaded not guilty to the four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.But on Feb. 27 he changed his plea because the judge dismissed the argument that his charter rights were violated during the police search.The usual punishment for selling large amounts of cocaine ranges between two and five years in prison.In this case, federal Crown attorney Tim McLaughlin asked for a sentence on the higher end of the scale, while defence lawyer Brad Sarson argued for a term of incarceration between three and four years. Justice Robert Wright of Nova Scotia Supreme Court decided on four years in prison, which equates to 38 months after time served is factored in. The judge noted that Mr. Kutappan had no prior criminal record but said "nonetheless the courts must send the message that there will be serious penal consequences for those who choose to engage in such a nefarious trade, which inflicts such widespread damage to our communities."Because of his immigrant status, Mr. Kutappan is not eligible for day parole. Upon his release from prison, he will be immediately deported to Malaysia

Haresh Kutappan was sentenced to four years in prison last week for dealing drugs

Haresh Kutappan was sentenced to four years in prison last week for dealing drugs out of his Halifax apartment.The 30-year-old native of Mal...

Jason Rooney was sentenced to 10 years in prison

Jason Rooney was yesterday sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was caught with more than €43,000 worth of cocaine.Rooney (22), of Sprin...

Viktor Bou arrested U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration information

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibf2skBkwiR05Oprg3diAJ9oPI8j_5XOypbkK5uPNYEVMpfZgICXtbu7cYQ_lx_-adWgftzBiN_QLKJxFMJpUkOwfMwmgNuIRdhDVh88XVozW6xhebckqCrIVXssIG2IzI3hzwR9wekA/s1600-h/P1TA.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174928068714602098" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibf2skBkwiR05Oprg3diAJ9oPI8j_5XOypbkK5uPNYEVMpfZgICXtbu7cYQ_lx_-adWgftzBiN_QLKJxFMJpUkOwfMwmgNuIRdhDVh88XVozW6xhebckqCrIVXssIG2IzI3hzwR9wekA/s320/P1TA.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a> A Russian dubbed the "Merchant of Death'' for allegedly supplying weapons to Africa's bloody conflicts over power and diamonds was arrested Thursday in Thailand on suspicion of conspiring to smuggle guns to Colombia's leftist rebels. Viktor Bout, 41, whose dealings reportedly inspired a 2005 movie about the illicit arms trade, was arrested at U.S. request in his hotel room in Bangkok, said police Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayapan. Bout had eluded arrest for years and was finally seized after a four-month sting organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In New York, federal authorities unsealed a criminal complaint charging that Bout conspired to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons, including 100 surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing rockets, that he thought were going to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.The leftist group, which has been fighting Colombia's government for more than four decades, is listed by the U.S. as a terror group. Bout and an associate, Andrew Smulian, were charged with "conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.''Thai police Col. Petcharat Sengchai said Smulian was still being sought.The U.S. is seeking Bout's extradition, but he will remain in Thailand pending an investigation into whether he used the Southeast Asian nation as a base to negotiate arms deals, officials said Friday. "We do intend to extradite him,'' Thomas Pasquarello, regional director of the DEA, told a news conference. But the timing still has "to be worked out between the two nations.''Handcuffed and expressionless, Bout was paraded before journalists at the news conference but refused to answer questions. "He is called the 'Merchant of Death' and 'Man of War' for a reason,'' Pasquerello said.Bout, who has never before been prosecuted for arms selling despite investigations in several countries, has always denied being involved in illicit deals.The criminal complaint in New York said confidential sources directed by the DEA posed as FARC members while negotiating from November to February to buy arms from Bout.Noting that lengthy investigation, a law enforcement official in Washington said there was no link between Bout's arrest and the weekend seizure by Colombian troops of a top FARC leader's laptop computer. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.In New York, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia would not say how much the weapons involved in the alleged deal were worth but said the cost of transporting them alone was set at $5 million. He said the weapons were to be parachuted to FARC fighters in Colombian territory. The arrest "marks the end of the reign of one of the world's most wanted arms traffickers,'' Garcia said.Bout, a former Soviet air force officer, allegedly built his contacts in the post-Soviet arms industry into a business dealing arms to combatants in conflicts around the world. He is generally believed to have been a model for the arms dealer portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 movie "Lord of War.'' Bout's best-documented activities have been in Central and West Africa, where he has been accused of funneling weapons into various civil wars since the early 1990s. In 2000, Peter Hain, then Britain's Cabinet minister for African affairs, called Bout "the chief sanctions-buster'' flouting U.N. arms embargoes on the warring parties in Angola and Sierra Leone, dubbing the Russian "a merchant of death.'' Bout also reportedly supplied arms to warring parties in Afghanistan before the 2001 fall of the Taliban's Islamic regime.One of his companies also served as a subcontractor involved in transporting U.S. military personnel and private U.S. contractors in Iraq, according to a book about Bout by journalists Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun published last year.The book, "Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible,'' also says a plane in Bout's fleet made several airdrops of weapons to FARC guerrillas between December 1998 and April 1999. It says the flights dropped about 10,000 weapons to the rebels, "enabling them to greatly enhance their military capabilities.''

Viktor Bou arrested U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration information

A Russian dubbed the "Merchant of Death'' for allegedly supplying weapons to Africa's bloody conflicts over power and diamo...

Matthew McChesney is a big player. We don't know if he is the biggest player

Police had been tracking 29-year-old Matthew McChesney for six months as part of a drug crackdown but the amount of drugs found surprised even them. "Weight-wise and size...there is no comparison...this is by far the largest marijuana seizure we have ever had," said Ken Fries of the Allen County Sheriff's Department.Police confiscated three tons of pot. It took over an hour to remove it all.Fries said the marijuana was worth about $6 million in street value. When McChesney was pulled over for a traffic stop, police found 12 pounds of pot and more than $100,000 in cash. The discovery led to a search warrant for his home in the town of Harlan."When I got here I was shocked. We know there are drugs in Allen County and Fort Wayne but to see this quantity in a house...it was mind-numbing"The marijuana was found all over the house from the basement to the upstairs. It was stacked to the ceiling like bails of haySince the amount of drugs is over 200 pounds, the case has been turned over to federal agents. But local police know the impact of the arrest. "This is certainly a big player. We don't know if he is the biggest player but this makes a major dent in the marijuana supply here in Allen County and Fort Wayne" Police also found numerous guns in the house and they are continuing to look for more drugs on the property McChesney could now be facing a minimum of 15 years in prison for drug trafficking and weapons charges.

Matthew McChesney is a big player. We don't know if he is the biggest player

Police had been tracking 29-year-old Matthew McChesney for six months as part of a drug crackdown but the amount of drugs found surprised ev...

Martin Amoh,Mario Dacosta were arrested abroad Bangkok Airways PG 171

Police arrested a Ghanaian and a Guinean for allegedly smuggling cocaine on board a flight to this tourist destination island with intent to...