Crime Correspondent

Timothy Pierce, 24, was arrested after he was caught bringing in 2,400 Ecstasy tablets across on a ferry from Portsmouth.

Timothy Pierce, 24, was arrested after he was caught bringing in 2,400 Ecstasy tablets across on a ferry from Portsmouth.

Timothy Pierce, 24, was arrested after he was caught bringing in 2,400 Ecstasy tablets across on a ferry from Portsmouth.The Birkenhead man ...

Victoria Nicholson's who flew to China to start a new life with a man she met on the internet has been jailed in Australia

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDDU5SWwXJiYY5CZfsR51I58bgk4zbeh4hpNxOvczG6R5whyVDBPYijKruA8EzOy7pYL3obX90L-QE0YY0OSPbXtK38X6SPZ-A1Yi4Kb4FR7MainefHExmrG3omk0Y_27wl2YIZKUY6E/s1600-h/viv.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308670125572159010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDDU5SWwXJiYY5CZfsR51I58bgk4zbeh4hpNxOvczG6R5whyVDBPYijKruA8EzOy7pYL3obX90L-QE0YY0OSPbXtK38X6SPZ-A1Yi4Kb4FR7MainefHExmrG3omk0Y_27wl2YIZKUY6E/s400/viv.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" /></a> A British woman who flew to China to start a new life with a man she met on the internet has been jailed in Australia after he forced her to smuggle drugs. Victoria Nicholson's story was revealed today as police in Sydney began an investigation with the Chinese to track down the cruel hoaxer.The school teacher wrote 'Love is blind' on an internet dating site as she searched for a companion after a string of failed relationships. 'Love is blind': Victoria Nicholson is in an Australian jail after she was fooled by a Nigerian drug runner whom she met online Miss Nicholson endured several abusive relationships, but raised two children.She headed off to Turkey for a holiday and met a man in Fetya who was to become her husband - but the marriage failed when she found out he was a gigolo trying to use her to get British citizenship.Her search for love on the internet was 'like an addiction' she told Sydney's Sun-Herald newspaper in an interview in a Sydney prison. Then, online, she met a Nigerian called Emmanuel.He told her he loved her and offered the woman a new life in China.Miss Nicholson's 22-year-old daughter warned her about taking the trip to Guangshou. But on the promise of a job and a lover, the lonely heart took off from London in July 2007. She told her family she had nothing to lose.Emmanuel met her at the airport in China and helped her find a job at a private school but within weeks things began to change. Her plans to return home by Christmas collapsed when her return ticket to England disappeared - and Emmanuel started going out alone at night.When she asked if another woman was involved, he said that was not the case but added: 'Nothing's for nothing, Victoria.' Miss Nicholson described the horror scene that followed. When her lover returned home one night with two other Nigerian men, he told her that she and he would be delivering a packet of 'important medicine' to Australia. But the means of carrying the small package was to be her own body - forced into her during a sex session.She was put on a plane with an escort, who disappeared in the transit lounge of Bangkok airport. She didn't approach any officials to tell them of her plight, fearing that another member of the drug ring was on board the plane. At Sydney airport, she was pulled aside by customs officers and confessed immediately to the secret package she was carrying.She has since pleaded guilty to a charge of importing a marketable quantity of an illegal drug - 264 grams of heroin - and has been sentenced to a four and a half years jail.'If I'm truthful to myself, I've been a fool,' she told the newspaper.Miss Nicholson has pleaded with Australian authorities to serve out her jail term in Britain so she can be closer to her mother, her daughter and her 21-year-old son, a Royal Navy Iraq veteran.

Victoria Nicholson's who flew to China to start a new life with a man she met on the internet has been jailed in Australia

A British woman who flew to China to start a new life with a man she met on the internet has been jailed in Australia after he forced her to...

Richard Rudolph Gayle, 38, was yesterday apprehended at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaiUdHh7EkYjI849lcEGvjpEDJGZ5FbruDyL5x0QR26GgbsZzxOnhxTDjb6i5x6DKs0J6y30xKZ8YRRqC3GX2Vh_Jfn0BN0kaOMOW0VIs1zDZCGrTRrs62V5Qm4URQY3dmNIuKw4JsPA/s1600-h/richard-rudolph-gayle.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308667583735466242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaiUdHh7EkYjI849lcEGvjpEDJGZ5FbruDyL5x0QR26GgbsZzxOnhxTDjb6i5x6DKs0J6y30xKZ8YRRqC3GX2Vh_Jfn0BN0kaOMOW0VIs1zDZCGrTRrs62V5Qm4URQY3dmNIuKw4JsPA/s400/richard-rudolph-gayle.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 237px;" /></a> Richard Rudolph Gayle, 38, was yesterday apprehended at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at approximately 5:00 hours by the Police Narcotics Unit, under the suspicion that he had swallowed pellets containing cocaine. The suspected cocaine swallower, Richard Rudolph Gayle, who was apprehended at the CJIA yesterday.Gayle is currently under police guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after X-rays of his abdomen showed several foreign objects in his stomach.The Jamaican, who arrived in Guyana on February 26, was an outgoing passenger at the CJIA bound for Trinidad and Tobago when he was searched by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). Their initial search discovered no drugs on his person, but Gayle was later detained by the Police Narcotics Unit. Gayle is said to be cooperating with the police, as he has taken the laxatives necessary to help him pass the pellets out of his system.A few weeks ago another Jamaican national, Errol Barrette, spent three days at the GPHC before finally excreting the pellets containing the illicit substance. He was lucky that none of the pellets containing the drug had ruptured in his stomach.Over the last few years, several drug mules have died when the pellets, containing the drugs they were trafficking, burst while still inside them.

Richard Rudolph Gayle, 38, was yesterday apprehended at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)

Richard Rudolph Gayle, 38, was yesterday apprehended at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at approximately 5:00 hours by the Pol...

Steven Atiyeh, 33, of Miami, was returned to U.S. police on the weekend after being intercepted Feb. 17 while arriving at Pearson

Steven Atiyeh, 33, of Miami, was returned to U.S. police on the weekend after being intercepted Feb. 17 while arriving at Pearson on a fligh...

Accused drug dealer Richard Buttrose was arrested after police discovered more than $1.3 million in cash and 7.7kg of cocaine

Accused drug dealer Richard Buttrose was arrested after police discovered more than $1.3 million in cash and 7.7kg of cocaine hidden in a Darling Point apartment. Buttrose, the father of a 21-month-old son and whose wife Pollyanna is expecting to give birth on Monday, was released on bail on Thursday after police had allegedl already caught him selling $2500 worth of cocaine.Yesterday morning, about 9am, as he was reporting to Rose Bay police station to meet his bail conditions, police seized the opportunity to arrest him again. While he stayed at his mother's Vaucluse home overnight they had raided the Darling Point apartment on Sutherland Crescent believed to be connected to him.Detectives estimate the street value of the cocaine found there yesterday would be about $2 million. Police said the latest raid was part of a crackdown on street-level drug dealing in Sydney's eastern suburbs and that their investigations were continuing.Buttrose, who is the son of the publishing icon's late brother, appeared before Central Local Court on Thursday charged with five counts of supplying a prohibited drug as well as possession and goods in custody after more police raids at Paddington and Enmore. <blockquote>At noon on Wednesday, undercover officers allegedly watched him sell 2g of cocaine to a man outside the Phoenix Hotel on Moncur St, Woollahra. He was later arrested in his Mercedes on Ocean St. His mother, Elizabeth Buttrose, had already put up $300,000 bail in order to have her son released the first time. Under those bail conditions, Buttrose was to stay inside her Vaucluse home from 6.30pm to 6.30am and report to police twice a day.</blockquote> His lawyer, Brett Galloway, told Central Local Court on Thursday Buttrose's occupation was "company director" - and that his client was in the process of producing a reality television program that turned ordinary people into racing car drivers.A 32-year-old man from Mascot was also arrested and charged on Thursday with possessing a prohibited drug. He was granted strict conditional bail and ordered to reappear in the Downing Centre Local Court on March 18.He was expected to be charged over yesterday's raid last night and is expected to appear before Parramatta Local Court today.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfci6ORJeLx5qR4OpI5nr-D53lUo-NCTrAY9xflhSJtq5IS0Yb7G1RLhgZHo9CFTV18LMHF-eNULMTxXUft1V3OnZf35xNYzqF-uk_lkdQ7vsojXGtnJMv-d8fgZUEEFXvnwUWLVtAnDA/s1600-h/richard++2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308664483011697906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfci6ORJeLx5qR4OpI5nr-D53lUo-NCTrAY9xflhSJtq5IS0Yb7G1RLhgZHo9CFTV18LMHF-eNULMTxXUft1V3OnZf35xNYzqF-uk_lkdQ7vsojXGtnJMv-d8fgZUEEFXvnwUWLVtAnDA/s400/richard++2.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 240px;" /></a>

Accused drug dealer Richard Buttrose was arrested after police discovered more than $1.3 million in cash and 7.7kg of cocaine

Accused drug dealer Richard Buttrose was arrested after police discovered more than $1.3 million in cash and 7.7kg of cocaine hidden in a Da...

Andrew Haig, from Peacehaven, was arrested in Bristol with £34,000 cash

Andrew Haig, from Peacehaven, was arrested in Bristol with £34,000 cash - and told police he found the money under a hedge while relieving himself. Haig, of Cavell Road North, was jailed for three and a half years for conspiracy to supply cocaine on Friday. He was caught after selling cocaine to a dealer described as a ‘regional supplier’ in Bath. A list of names and sums of money then led detectives to other members of the drugs ring. Five men were jailed at Bristol Crown Court following a police operation involving 52 days of surveillance at a Bath nightclub. Duncan Whitefoot, 48, from Chippenham, was jailed for eight years for conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis. He was found with 1kg of cocaine of 48% purity, which police said he had just bought from Haig in the car park of an Ikea store, and ten bars of cannabis resin. He ran Burdells Yard nightclub in Bath, along with Stephen Carter, 54 of Monkton Farleigh, Wiltshire, who was sentenced to five and a half years on the same charges. Geoffrey Skardon, 48, from Bristol, and Timothy Wimble, 46, of Corsham, Wiltshire, were each jailed for five years for the cocaine conspiracy. Detective Constable Chris Hitchcock of Wiltshire Police said: “These defendants have been supplying drugs across the south of England during several months, and who is to know the extent of the misery they have caused to young people?”

Andrew Haig, from Peacehaven, was arrested in Bristol with £34,000 cash

Andrew Haig, from Peacehaven, was arrested in Bristol with £34,000 cash - and told police he found the money under a hedge while relieving h...

Travis M. Smith,fled on foot after stepping out of a vehicle in a hotel parking lot on South Blackstock Road

Travis M. Smith, 30, must serve 85 percent of the sentence issued by Judge J. Derham Cole before he is eligible for parole.Spartanburg Count...

James Lotharp on Friday was sentenced to three years in prison for drug possession

James Lotharp on Friday was sentenced to three years in prison for drug possession by Senior Erie County Judge Michael L. D’Amico. One of a ...

Ian Donaldson, 29, was snared by Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency officers

Ian Donaldson, 29, was snared by Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency officers on Friday afternoon. They swooped using an international arrest warrant issued by a judge in Madrid. Now Donaldson, of Renton, Dunbartonshire, faces extradition to Spain where he is expected to face money laundering and drug trafficking charges. The arrest is part of Operation Sendero - a long-running investigation spearheaded by Spanish police. Fellow suspects Ronald O'Dea, 4 2, and Jim McDonald, 59, both of Glasgow, are already in custody in Madrid.They were arrested following the seizure of 70 kilos of amphetamines from a lorry in Oxfordshire heading for Scotland. Spanish police have already seized assets worth £12million on the holiday island of Tenerife. The haul includes eight luxury homes, a fleet of sports cars and a yacht which were all owned by Donaldson. One of his properties is a £1million cliff-top villa. Donaldson will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court tomorrow. A decision will be taken whether to keep him in custody in Scotland, transfer him to Spain immediately, or grant him bail. Last month we revealed Donaldson had been spotted enjoying a night out with pals in a Glasgow nightclub despite being a wanted man. The SCDEA said: "A 29-year-old man was arrested following the execution of an arrest warrant which had been issued in Spain." Donaldson is a struggling amateur racing driver whose team compete in an orange Lamborghini.

Ian Donaldson, 29, was snared by Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency officers

Ian Donaldson, 29, was snared by Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency officers on Friday afternoon. They swooped using an internationa...

Gary Robb, who ran The Colosseum Club in Norton in the 1990s, faces four conspiracy charges - conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs Ecstasy

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMeZE7XUKsus6r4R1ieWya3sEYAholUpbkXw6Tk8KrxezuH98oKTAXz855h76gHBSEqYtyHdaBhAvyLb2ngBPz8YuUQACRQVnnI-xnrziKNaEwTbfui-O914aDkqS-zIJK4K3xaqIGdY/s1600-h/gary.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308287055921866274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMeZE7XUKsus6r4R1ieWya3sEYAholUpbkXw6Tk8KrxezuH98oKTAXz855h76gHBSEqYtyHdaBhAvyLb2ngBPz8YuUQACRQVnnI-xnrziKNaEwTbfui-O914aDkqS-zIJK4K3xaqIGdY/s400/gary.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 390px;" /></a> Gary Robb, who ran The Colosseum Club in Norton in the 1990s, faces four conspiracy charges - conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs Ecstasy, amphetamimes, cannabis and cannabis resin between 1994 and 1996, and also failure to surrender on July 24, 1998.Gary Robb, 46, and his mother Mavis, 71, appeared at Teesside Crown Court before the Recorder of Middlesbrough Judge Peter Fox QC yesterday.His mother was charged with two offences of doing acts tending and intending to pervert the course of public justice between September and November 1997 by assisting him to flee from the UK.Their barrister Mark Harries said that they would be pleading not guilty, and there would be an application to move the trial to another part of the country because of previous publicity.Mr Harries said a bail application for frail Mrs Robb would be made next Thursday.The Robbs, whose UK address was formerly West Road, Denton Burn, Newcastle, were both remanded in custody until May 29.

Gary Robb, who ran The Colosseum Club in Norton in the 1990s, faces four conspiracy charges - conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs Ecstasy

Gary Robb, who ran The Colosseum Club in Norton in the 1990s, faces four conspiracy charges - conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs Ecsta...

Ting Ting Tran, 18, of Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, east London, and a 17 year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested

Ting Ting Tran, 18, of Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, east London, and a 17 year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested by U...

Dawn Deveaux tried to sneak in 4.47 grams of heroin into Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Comstock, N.Y.

23-year-old Coram woman was arrested Sunday after she was caught trying to smuggle heroin into a jail in Comstock.Police say Dawn Deveaux tr...

Arrest of Ricky Moultrie and Nyah Ricketts on drug distribution/possession, and resisting arrest charges

Arrest of Ricky Moultrie and Nyah Ricketts on drug distribution/possession, and resisting arrest charges. The arrests came about as a result of a month long investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Narcotic Task Force, under the direction of Chief Joseph Macellaro, the Bergen County Police Department under the direction of Chief John Schmidig, and the Paramus Police Department under the direction of Chief Richard Cary.On Wednesday, February 11, 2009, Ricky Moultrie and Nyah Ricketts were arrested by members of the Narcotic Task Force, Paramus Police Department, and the Bergen County Police Department, while attempting to distribute 175 bricks of suspected heroin This estimated street value of the suspected heroin is in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00.) While attempting to effect Ricky Moultrie’s arrest, he fled on foot into Hackensack, New Jersey attempting to elude arrest. He was subsequently apprehended with the assistance of officers from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, the Paramus Police Department, the Bergen County Police Department, the Maywood Police Department, and the Hackensack Police Department. At the time of Rickett’s arrest he was found to be in possession of suspected Marijuana and $ 1,071.00 in United States Currency which was seized pending civil forfeiture. Prosecutor Molinelli states that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Arrest of Ricky Moultrie and Nyah Ricketts on drug distribution/possession, and resisting arrest charges

Arrest of Ricky Moultrie and Nyah Ricketts on drug distribution/possession, and resisting arrest charges. The arrests came about as a result...

Kim Le Thu,was arrested trying to bring 3 kilograms of heroin into the mainland through Shenzhen

A Vietnamese woman was arrested trying to bring 3 kilograms of heroin into the mainland through Shenzhen on Tuesday night.The seizure was the first this year and the largest in the history of the Shenzhen International Airport border police.Kim Le Thu, 42, arrived at Shenzhen on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. She looked nervous when going through immigration procedures, police said yesterday.Police became more suspicious when the woman, who was alone, was unable to say why she was coming to China. She could not speak Chinese or English.Police later found a large parcel of chocolates inside her luggage. The “chocolates” were very solid and extremely heavy. Police cut open the outer wrapping and found 20 chunks of yellowish powder.The chunks, weighing a total of 2.968 kg, were later tested and found to be heroin, police said.Airport police detected six cases of heroin trafficking over the past year. Three men from the Philippines were caught trying to smuggle 1.2 kg of heroin into Shenzhen in June last year. On July 7, a Filipina was detained after attempting to smuggle 1 kg of heroin into China via Shenzhen.In October last year, four foreigners were jailed for trafficking heroine in Guangzhou. One from Uganda was sentenced to death, suspended for two years, for carrying 2.080 kg of heroin in her luggage.

Kim Le Thu,was arrested trying to bring 3 kilograms of heroin into the mainland through Shenzhen

A Vietnamese woman was arrested trying to bring 3 kilograms of heroin into the mainland through Shenzhen on Tuesday night.The seizure was th...

Marty Pettigrew is facing cocaine and marijuana charges after being stopped by police for speeding Feb. 6.

Marty Pettigrew is facing cocaine and marijuana charges after being stopped by police for speeding Feb. 6.Pettigrew, 47, was pulled over for...

Ramandeep JOHAL of Renfrewshire, Scotland was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (UK) for receiving a package containing 8.83 kilograms of cocaine

Thirty-one year-old Ramandeep JOHAL of Renfrewshire, Scotland was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (UK) for receiving a package containing 8.83 kilograms of cocaine.Ramandeep JOHAL of Renfrewshire, Scotland (U.K.) was arrested and charged pursuant to section 4(3)(b) of the Misuse of Drugs Act (United Kingdom) after receiving the package which contained 8.83 kilograms of cocaine recovered from inside the memorial marker. In partnership with the Strathclyde Police, the RCMP conducted an investigation locally in an effort to identify co-conspirators on this matter however, no persons to date have been charged.On June 10th, 2008 members of the Canada Border Service Agency(CBSA) located at the Vancouver International Airport, intercepted a suspicious package that was bound for Glasgow, Scotland. After being examined, this package was found to contain a memorial marker that had an unknown quantity of cocaine secreted within it. CBSA requested the assistance of the RCMP’s Greater Vancouver Drug Section in an effort to conduct a controlled delivery of the memorial marker between Canada and Scotland. The delivery of the parcel was completed with the aid of the RCMP’s Liaison Officer in London, Her Majesties Revenue and Customs (London) and the Strathclyde Police (Scotland). A subsequent undercover operation was conducted by Detectives from the Strathclyde Police Department whereby the delivery of the package was made to a local business address in Glasgow. This intelligence-led international investigation has successfully disrupted this organized crime process from the smuggling and trafficking of this cocaine. The investigation was a collaborative effort by many officers from CBSA, the RCMP and the Strathclyde Police Department. It is yet another example of our integrated approach and ongoing commitment to detect, dismantle and prosecute organized crime in Canada and abroad.

Ramandeep JOHAL of Renfrewshire, Scotland was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (UK) for receiving a package containing 8.83 kilograms of cocaine

Thirty-one year-old Ramandeep JOHAL of Renfrewshire, Scotland was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (UK) for receiving a package contain...

Marquis Gillespie, 33, and Alissa Malek, 26, both of the 2000 block of Norwich Lane in Bartlett, were arrested

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfGg50qn6XjFoWjEH6KvPHXbjyztUrqy_jKiBaD2Mr1DVNsjUqztiyPsMZIYpcy5NyWGjTb2XUshrs6SetLz76v0k-HnvjSwSUZSdpeS-xy0hh_wymtrj0Q1Ud_-lPOBpbw9UIOiBpoU/s1600-h/128163.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304747396388887138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfGg50qn6XjFoWjEH6KvPHXbjyztUrqy_jKiBaD2Mr1DVNsjUqztiyPsMZIYpcy5NyWGjTb2XUshrs6SetLz76v0k-HnvjSwSUZSdpeS-xy0hh_wymtrj0Q1Ud_-lPOBpbw9UIOiBpoU/s320/128163.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 205px; height: 270px;" /></a>Marquis Gillespie, 33, and Alissa Malek, 26, both of the 2000 block of Norwich Lane in Bartlett, were arrested, Bartlett police Sgt. Michael McGuigan said. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_m-VrXTAOHG8KAOR9p4Yavwd5Vd3mnptdEMNL3uHpYDkdU6YTL8AC-8si7-gBBuQRb6lDIDJyA2vyJppLrUEi2nEpqwF1QVCOe355C8CNomxTwc92600kSR7624AVojHrfF0fAU_AtMg/s1600-h/128162.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304747389864667586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_m-VrXTAOHG8KAOR9p4Yavwd5Vd3mnptdEMNL3uHpYDkdU6YTL8AC-8si7-gBBuQRb6lDIDJyA2vyJppLrUEi2nEpqwF1QVCOe355C8CNomxTwc92600kSR7624AVojHrfF0fAU_AtMg/s320/128162.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 270px;" /></a>"That's one of the biggest busts that we've had in a long time," he added.Gillespie was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and Malek was charged with a misdemeanor charge of possession of cannabis, McGuigan said.Neighbors made complaints to police about the house, to which McGuigan said police have made prior visits. Police used a warrant around 7:30 a.m. to search the pair's house and say they found more than 1,500 grams of cocaine, some cannabis, about $3,000 and drug paraphernalia. McGuigan said economic problems don't seem to hurt the illegal drug business."We haven't seen it in our town, but when the economy goes sour, unfortunately we see an increase in drug usage," McGuigan said.Gillespie served 3 1/2 years in prison for a conviction on charges of manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance in 2000 in Cook County, police said.Malek was given a March 6 Rolling Meadows court date after she posted bond. Gillespie remains jailed and awaits a bond hearing, police said.

Marquis Gillespie, 33, and Alissa Malek, 26, both of the 2000 block of Norwich Lane in Bartlett, were arrested

Marquis Gillespie, 33, and Alissa Malek, 26, both of the 2000 block of Norwich Lane in Bartlett, were arrested, Bartlett police Sgt. Michael...

Rene Abraham Hernandez, 29, was last week charged over the importation of 100kg of cocaine from Mexico into Sydney.

Rene Abraham Hernandez, 29, was last week charged over the importation of 100kg of cocaine from Mexico into Sydney. After he was arrested on Friday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) allegedly found identification of a New Zealand police officer and two NSW drivers’ licenses in two names in a black leather bag. Officers from the AFP and the NSW Crime Commission were investigating the February 2008 importation of the drug, which was concealed in 19 tonnes of pavers from Mexico. They were also investigating possible money-laundering by people involved in the importation.Police allege that Mr Hernandez, who was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, was one of at least three people involved. Sydney Central Local Court was today told that Mr Hernandez, who was born in Mexico and became an Australian citizen in 1991, knew that he was being investigated by authorities for almost a year.Before refusing bail, Magistrate Paul Lyon said the amount of money police allege that the “scheme” brought in was enormous. Mr Hernandez is due to appear in Central Local Court on April 29.

Rene Abraham Hernandez, 29, was last week charged over the importation of 100kg of cocaine from Mexico into Sydney.

Rene Abraham Hernandez, 29, was last week charged over the importation of 100kg of cocaine from Mexico into Sydney. After he was arrested on...

Avraham Malachi, 39, of Netanya, whom police identified as the ringleader; Samuel Samuel, 48, originally from Lod and described as the go-between

Four Argentine retirees who made their way to the Netherlands and India from South America allegedly served as couriers in an international drug-smuggling ring thought headed by five Israelis. Although the retirees initially failed to arouse the suspicion of border police at airports around the world, the Argentines and all five of the Israelis have been arrested in recent weeks. Advertisement An undercover operation lasting more than a year conducted by the Israel police and police departments in other countries found the couriers to have been a lot more than innocents abroad. The four were reportedly caught with large quantities of cocaine and Indian hashish. Suspects were identified as Avraham Malachi, 39, of Netanya, whom police identified as the ringleader; Samuel Samuel, 48, originally from Lod and described as the go-between in Holland; Moshe Luver, 67, of Netanya, said to have recruited the Argentinean drug runners; Viteli Hanukyeb, 28, of Netanya, alleged to have organized the network's operations in India; and Asher Zurik, 20, Malachi's brother-in-law and the one responsible for helping the couriers to move around in South America and India. Conducted in coordination with South American and European police, the investigation uncovered remarkable methods used to hide the drugs, such as stashing just under 10 kilograms of cocaine in more than 1,900 buttons - a measure that was of no help to the elderly drug runner arrested last April at the airport in Lima, Peru. In December, police in Amsterdam uncovered 52kg. of Indian cannabis hidden in suitcases. The network allegedly recruited elderly drug runners, hoping their age would deflect suspicion. It was said to have paid three - Argentinean nationals named as Manuel Maria Mellone, 66; Gerardo Federico Harmeye, 68; and Justo Fernando Brito, 49 - € 5,000 for each smuggling run. The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court extended the custody of the Israeli suspects until February 22.

Avraham Malachi, 39, of Netanya, whom police identified as the ringleader; Samuel Samuel, 48, originally from Lod and described as the go-between

Four Argentine retirees who made their way to the Netherlands and India from South America allegedly served as couriers in an international ...

Diego Montoya Sanchez once on the FBI's most-wanted list has pleaded not guilty to U.S. cocaine trafficking charges

Reputed Colombian drug kingpin once on the FBI's most-wanted list has pleaded not guilty to U.S. cocaine trafficking charges.Diego Monto...

Sentenced 32-year-old Maximo Pineda-Buenventura to 17 1/2 years in prison and 30-year-old Teodulo Pineda-Buenventura to 5 years

Sentenced 32-year-old Maximo Pineda-Buenventura to 17 1/2 years in prison and 30-year-old Teodulo Pineda-Buenventura to 5 years for conspiri...

Chris Lewis has denied trying to smuggle £200,000 worth of cocaine through Gatwick Airport.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFZeQk2zLVCKBidvLSkR4gIMGv8TpDnEgkMDnxDu_owx2Tb0zBL30vYvUUdg8zOqIjjUnMWU1ttyVOMFT5qboOSck5j2MESkxvPvkZUtqJA9w17Db4uSUzcYMgGCcUFMSnCCnw2_xwK8/s1600-h/chrislewis.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304740313467181474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFZeQk2zLVCKBidvLSkR4gIMGv8TpDnEgkMDnxDu_owx2Tb0zBL30vYvUUdg8zOqIjjUnMWU1ttyVOMFT5qboOSck5j2MESkxvPvkZUtqJA9w17Db4uSUzcYMgGCcUFMSnCCnw2_xwK8/s320/chrislewis.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 264px;" /></a> Chris Lewis has denied trying to smuggle £200,000 worth of cocaine through Gatwick Airport. Chris Lewis, 41, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals in the 1990s, appeared at Croydon Crown Court along side co-defendant basketball player Chad Kirnon, 27 who also pleaded not guilty.The two men were arrested at Gatwick Airport on December 8. The drug was in liquid form concealed in fruit tins and discovered as part of routine checks at the airport. Both were remanded in custody and their trial listed for May 11.

Chris Lewis has denied trying to smuggle £200,000 worth of cocaine through Gatwick Airport.

Chris Lewis has denied trying to smuggle £200,000 worth of cocaine through Gatwick Airport. Chris Lewis, 41, who played 32 Tests and 53 one...

Antone J. Chacartegui was charged with felony trafficking of a controlled substance.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GLi118pIztotKt1OFY9h4CE9iDEyxMExxqvv_lYSCw_WhVIj4cT1FHQBrtQwsoFKErJchStkZSdEGYqFRfAKwa4Kj3nWVaD8uYcwulcC49BmYi7Li7lBmWJWfX0ngE4voGOyZcROB_s/s1600-h/ant.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304739818569860802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GLi118pIztotKt1OFY9h4CE9iDEyxMExxqvv_lYSCw_WhVIj4cT1FHQBrtQwsoFKErJchStkZSdEGYqFRfAKwa4Kj3nWVaD8uYcwulcC49BmYi7Li7lBmWJWfX0ngE4voGOyZcROB_s/s320/ant.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" /></a> Antone J. Chacartegui was charged with felony trafficking of a controlled substance.After a two-month investigation, Boise police's narcotics unit obtained a warrant to search a home in the 2300 block of State Street. When they searched the home at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, they found multiple baggies containing a combined 46.2 grams of heroin (street value of $7,000), 9.8 grams of marijuana, scales, cash and other drug paraphernalia.

Antone J. Chacartegui was charged with felony trafficking of a controlled substance.

Antone J. Chacartegui was charged with felony trafficking of a controlled substance.After a two-month investigation, Boise police's narc...

Donaciano Rivera, was arrested at his home in the 6000 block of Dias Avenue in Sacramento

Donaciano Rivera, was arrested at his home in the 6000 block of Dias Avenue in Sacramento. “A confidential source contacted us about Rivera and his alleged activities as a heroin dealer,” Curran stated. From that point on, he said, a month-long investigation was initiated.The heroin’s street value was estimated at more than $36,000, Curran reported.When he was taken into custody, Rivera had more than $7,100 in cash at his residence, a sheriff’s department report said.Rivera was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and faces charges of possession for sale of a controlled substance, carrying a concealed firearm not registered to owner, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of probation.Curran said that an investigation was “still ongoing.” According to jail records, Rivera was scheduled to be arraigned in court on Thursday.Aside from the Rivera arrest, Curran said that the narcotics enforcement team — also known as the “street team” — has been busy this year.“Since the beginning of this year, they (the street team) have taken more than 61 suspects into custody,” he said. Most of those arrests have been for selling narcotics or narcotics related activities. “The team has also seized more then $30,000 in drug money and have taken six guns off of the streets.” Over 26 pounds of marijuana and 50 grams of methamphetamine have also been seized by the team since their new operations started last month.

Donaciano Rivera, was arrested at his home in the 6000 block of Dias Avenue in Sacramento

Donaciano Rivera, was arrested at his home in the 6000 block of Dias Avenue in Sacramento. “A confidential source contacted us about Rivera ...

Paul Makin and his wife Laura, were detained by police at Porlamar airport allegedly carrying 52lb of cocaine

Paul and Laura Makin from Birkenhead, Merseyside, were arrested at the airport of Isla Margarita, a resort island off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, after allegedly packing 23.7kg (52lb) of the drug - worth an estimated £1.2m - into their luggage.Their children, two-year-old twins and a boy and girl aged seven and eight, have been taken into care by Venezuelan social services and are expected to return to Britain later this week. The family were attempting to board a flight home after a package holiday on the island of Margarita. According to reports in Venezuela, their cases were searched and found to contain false bottoms concealing several bags of drugs. Family members arrived this afternoon to help care for the children who had been placed in the care of local social services. The couple were held at a local command of the national guard before being seen by a judge. They are being held in the San Antonio prison, where drug trafficking cases make up 85 per cent of the 1,300 prisoners, according to guards. They are being held separately in male and female wings, Mrs Makin in an individual cell and her husband in a group dormitory. The couple have yet to be charged and have not been seen by a lawyer or a representative of the British Embassy. "It's a process," said one guard, who declined to be named. Investigations are ongoing and prosecutors now have 45 days to bring charges or release the couple. Luis Moreno, the director of the prison, said the arrests came as the authorities were trying to smash a smuggling ring. "There are never just two, there are always more, at least 15 or 20. Therefore we have to be very careful about letting information out." The British authorities were already seeking Mr Makin when he was arrested. Merseyside Police said today that he had been due to attend Liverpool Crown Court on February 9 accused of affray and possession of an offensive weapon. When he did not attend the trial a judge issued a warrant for his arrest. He is alleged to have threatened a man with what was believed to be a machete in Prenton last September. It is understood that the family went on holiday three weeks ago but did not return, as expected, after a week. Customs officers at Porlamar said that drugs-smuggling to and from the island is becoming an increasingly frequent occurrence, with Venezuelan territory being used as a trafficking route between Colombia and the United States and Europe.

Paul Makin and his wife Laura, were detained by police at Porlamar airport allegedly carrying 52lb of cocaine

Paul and Laura Makin from Birkenhead, Merseyside, were arrested at the airport of Isla Margarita, a resort island off Venezuela's Caribb...

UNCW students Christopher Misenheimer, 20, and Nina Esquire, 19, are charged with conspiracy to traffic in heroin

UNCW students Christopher Misenheimer, 20, and Nina Esquire, 19, are charged with conspiracy to traffic in heroin, three counts of trafficking in heroin, manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiring to sell and deliver cocaine.Michael Gerrod Jones is charged with conspiracy to sell and deliver cocaine, conspiracy to traffic in heroin, manufacturing a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.UNCW student Jonathan Paker is charged with conspiracy to traffic in heroin, possession of cocaine, felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, conspiracy to sell and deliver cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The residence, in a cluster of three buildings of condominiums where Parker, Esquire and Jones lived, was used to manufacture and sell drugs, Ciamillo said.The arrests were the result of a monthlong undercover investigation that culminated when a search warrant was served at the address at 3 p.m., according to Ciamillo. Also seized were a supply of powder blue glycine bags used to package the heroin, as well as the rubber stamps and ink pads used to mark the bags with “think happy thoughts” for branded street sale. Officials also confiscated sifters and grinders used to turn the drug into powder form, and dark blue balloons used to store and transport heroin.Misenheimer is being held under $325,000 bond. Jones, Parker and Esquire are each being held under $225,000 bonds. More arrests are pending, Ciamillo said. Heroin has been a serious problem in New Hanover County, he said, and the squad has been working to put a “substantial dent” in its manufacture and sale.

UNCW students Christopher Misenheimer, 20, and Nina Esquire, 19, are charged with conspiracy to traffic in heroin

UNCW students Christopher Misenheimer, 20, and Nina Esquire, 19, are charged with conspiracy to traffic in heroin, three counts of trafficki...

Dancehall artiste Munga Honourable, whose given name is Damion Rhoden, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UZ7rLE-e3795KXUHxWHOVzU2CavxCTwlsPJH4k3AdJPbGLQMOtBvZzuF9kIwYpu3AFJij-r-wVptv5vg8z0ItPLEC6R2vdAypLwd0cZwtv-AN1JrjN-BhV4bC4hrp7cqTBGz6edOnb8/s1600-h/munga.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304466924433083074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UZ7rLE-e3795KXUHxWHOVzU2CavxCTwlsPJH4k3AdJPbGLQMOtBvZzuF9kIwYpu3AFJij-r-wVptv5vg8z0ItPLEC6R2vdAypLwd0cZwtv-AN1JrjN-BhV4bC4hrp7cqTBGz6edOnb8/s400/munga.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 199px; height: 139px;" /></a> Dancehall artiste Munga Honourable, whose given name is Damion Rhoden, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.Rhoden appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown.The court was told that on the day in question, the police searched Rhoden and a small quantity of ganja found. Rhoden was sentenced to pay $200 or serve seven days in jail.The deejay is known for such hits as Wine Pan It and Bad From Mi Born.

Dancehall artiste Munga Honourable, whose given name is Damion Rhoden, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana

Dancehall artiste Munga Honourable, whose given name is Damion Rhoden, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana when he appeared in the Cor...

South African Airways 15 members of the flight crew, including the pilot, were being held by officers

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VYREWv4_5EKmn1AITrDhBAjEZK9pmFzIADwPSf9ncP8DN0oCBEgdvDrImj-ES3UZ_8w5F8TMrHYt1w-IGJ-b2xaFiXbZFrxBU2rGpci8vg6P7x6d0HJbL1Bt5ZQkDQTioLpxggSJwlI/s1600-h/SAA.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303532887723517394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VYREWv4_5EKmn1AITrDhBAjEZK9pmFzIADwPSf9ncP8DN0oCBEgdvDrImj-ES3UZ_8w5F8TMrHYt1w-IGJ-b2xaFiXbZFrxBU2rGpci8vg6P7x6d0HJbL1Bt5ZQkDQTioLpxggSJwlI/s320/SAA.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 195px;" /></a> 15 members of the flight crew, including the pilot, were being held by officers after five kilos of a substance thought to be cocaine with and estimated street value of £250,000 pounds was allegdly discovered in a bag. The crew was trying to clear customs at London's Heathrow Airport following a 12-hour flight from Johannesburg when they were stopped and searched. Bob Gaiger, spokesman for HM Revenue and Customs, said the alleged drugs were discovered after the crew were selected for a customs' check as they entered the UK on Monday. "Crew members are subject to the same customs checks as any other person when entering the UK," he said. "Those arrested are now being held in custody and will be interviewed by HMRC investigation officers." It was the second time in four weeks that an entire crew from a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow had been arrested. On January 21 10 women and five men from a Johannesburg to London flight were arrested after £310,000 pounds worth of cannabis and cocaine were seized. They were bailed to return to Heathrow Police Station on March 23.

South African Airways 15 members of the flight crew, including the pilot, were being held by officers

15 members of the flight crew, including the pilot, were being held by officers after five kilos of a substance thought to be cocaine with a...

Ricardo Sanchez and Daniel Troya could face the death penalty if convicted on charges related to the murders of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife Yessica,

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqbt2YAWTzp93LYpJ7TSD-rPOyADuZdFgTo6laMpQroTPjD5ZY6RrLZWFTnNSaA6Y5VWoBiK79m62dM93RSnQAuB49Dwg8dtIlVnJrDZaE4tF4haPqeKvjWGNF7hcufMSFSzQSf4Zaks/s1600-h/Q-21tTroyaNC-4094_t220.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301958280535617634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqbt2YAWTzp93LYpJ7TSD-rPOyADuZdFgTo6laMpQroTPjD5ZY6RrLZWFTnNSaA6Y5VWoBiK79m62dM93RSnQAuB49Dwg8dtIlVnJrDZaE4tF4haPqeKvjWGNF7hcufMSFSzQSf4Zaks/s400/Q-21tTroyaNC-4094_t220.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 298px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSY_1KG_7z9XswMRA7yYKGD5YoXlEp02Kbj5tQWAnbWTKv8wo8tkEzzJJrj0EkxDRKKNcGqhp_HFHIajGZsTtXyBKnwlIpbH9ovMrqHxTnhiAnttpxdY3INOZCgoz3kZ5VBLKlw2OGDOs/s1600-h/Q-SanchezNC-4096_t220.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301958277708111906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSY_1KG_7z9XswMRA7yYKGD5YoXlEp02Kbj5tQWAnbWTKv8wo8tkEzzJJrj0EkxDRKKNcGqhp_HFHIajGZsTtXyBKnwlIpbH9ovMrqHxTnhiAnttpxdY3INOZCgoz3kZ5VBLKlw2OGDOs/s400/Q-SanchezNC-4096_t220.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 298px;" /></a> Ricardo Sanchez and Daniel Troya could face the death penalty if convicted on charges related to the murders of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife Yessica, and their sons Luis Julian and Luis Damian.Husband, wife and two children from Greenacres found shot to death off Florida's Turnpike in northern Port St. Lucie.Much of the testimony this week, however, has centered on Danny Varela, who is accused of heading up the drug ring for which Escobedo allegedly acted as a drug connection.This morning, former drug dealer Mario Calderon testified that he purchased 2 to 3 kilos of cocaine from Varela per week between 2005 and 2006.Calderon, currently serving a 42-month prison sentence on drug charges, told jurors Sanchez and another co-defendant, Liana Lee Lopez, typically delivered the drugs, though Varela accompanied Sanchez on one occassion.Defense attorney pressed Calderon on how his own criminal activities might lead him to be deported back to his native Guatemala, something Calderon testified he was hoping to avoid by cooperating in the case.Monday, an alleged former drug associate turned DEA informant Malik Mullino testified that he, too, bought large quantities of cocaine from Varela.U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley over defense objections allowed Mullino to tell jurors that he and Varela had met at a prison work camp and did business together in 2004 and 2005, a year before the incidents with which the four are charged in federal indictments.Hurley, however, did keep Mullino from mentioning the details of a conversation he had with one of Varela's girlfriends, Draciena Berrios, who Mullino told investigators had confided in him that Varela's drug business had gotten so big that he had to hire enforcers to protect him. Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy John Halloran this morning testified about a July 10, 2006 incident where he tried to pull over Sanchez while he was riding in a Ford Taurus.According to Halloran, Sanchez led him on a chase before crashing the car into a tree, trying to run away with a shoebox under his arm, and eventually dropping the shoebox before he was caught.Inside the shoebox, Halloran testified, he found a large quantity of cocaine.

Ricardo Sanchez and Daniel Troya could face the death penalty if convicted on charges related to the murders of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife Yessica,

Ricardo Sanchez and Daniel Troya could face the death penalty if convicted on charges related to the murders of Jose Luis Escobedo, his wife...

Michael B. Armstrong, 20, and Frederick Stockton, 24, are charged with possession of crack cocaine

Michael B. Armstrong, 20, and Frederick Stockton, 24, are charged with possession of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon.Police said an attempted traffic stop led to the arrests of two men on drug and gun charges following a crash in Riviera Beach. According to Riviera Beach police, Armstrong and Stockton were traveling in a 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo when they made an illegal U-turn at the intersection of Military Trail and Blue Heron Boulevard. An officer witnessed the illegal traffic procedure and attempted to stop the car as it pulled into a gas station on Military Trail. Instead, the car sped off on Military Trail and attempted to turn north on Military Trail when it was struck by a 2001 Acura, police said.The driver of the Acura lost control of the vehicle and struck another vehicle. Neither driver was injured. Police said Armstrong, the driver, and Stockton had to be removed at gunpoint. They both suffered minor injuries in the crash.A loaded gun was found in the floorboard on the driver's side and another gun was found under the front passenger seat, police said. One of the guns was reported stolen in a burglary in Jupiter last year, police said.Four bags of crack cocaine were also found in the Monte Carlo, police said.

Michael B. Armstrong, 20, and Frederick Stockton, 24, are charged with possession of crack cocaine

Michael B. Armstrong, 20, and Frederick Stockton, 24, are charged with possession of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon.Po...