Zhivko Rusev, a Bulgarian national who was arrested in Iran over allegations of drug trafficking is going to go to trial

Zhivko Rusev, a Bulgarian national who was arrested in Iran over allegations of drug trafficking is going to go to trial in the Islamic Republic as the process begins on Monday.If the Iranian prosecution proves that he had been a part of a drug trafficking network, Rusev will be sentenced to death by hanging, which is the punishment for such an act in Iran, even for the smallest quantities.The Bulgarian was arrested in September 2008 near the northwestern Iranian city of Tabriz by the local anti-drug police services. A package of 135 kilograms of heroin was found in his truck.The Bulgarian Embassy in Tehran has hired local lawyer Moghaddam Far to defend Roussev. According to Dragovest Goranov, spokesperson for the Bulgarian FA Ministry, he was recommended to Bulgaria by employees of the Turkish Embassy in Iran.

Ahmed Hameed Sakhizada, 33, of Northampton,"I am Europe's agent, I am the smuggler of Europe."

Ahmed Hameed Sakhizada, 33, of Northampton, was jailed at Kingston Crown Court.He boasted: "I am Europe's agent, I am the smuggler of Europe." after he admitted a charge of conspiracy to contravene the Immigration Act.A charge of conspiracy to transfer criminal property was allowed to lie on file, while two other members of his gang were also jailed.Abdul Wakil Niazi, 35, of Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was found guilty of conspiracy to contravene the Immigration Act and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.Sakhizada's brother Ahmed Shah Sakhizada, 24, of Wellingborough Road, Northampton, was sentenced to seven years after he was also found guilty of both counts.During the trial Kingston Crown Court heard the gang was known to be responsible for the illegal immigration of at least 230 young men into Europe, mainly from Pakistan and Afghanistan, although the number was likely to be higher.
The gang hid behind a web of pizza shops across the country, including Northampton, Kent, Berkshire, and Essex, where the immigrants were set to work to pay off their "debt" of up to £10,000.They smuggled victims through Afghanistan into Iran and Turkey then to the Greek islands and into European countries including the UK.
Surveillance by the Serious Organised Crime Agency recorded Abdul Hameed Sakhizada, who lived above a pizza shop in Northampton, in January 2008 saying that in two months he had moved 1,800 people.

Australian police have smashed a drug trafficking syndicate and seized heroin worth $A9 million ($NZ11.5 million)

Insp Fryer said."Five kilograms of pure heroin equates to about 20kg on the street . . . that is hundreds of thousands of hits," he said.

Australian police have smashed a drug trafficking syndicate and seized heroin worth $A9 million ($NZ11.5 million) destined for Melbourne's streets. Officers in Sydney swooped on a 59-year-old Footscray woman carrying 700 grams, or two blocks of high-grade heroin, as she got on a train bound for Melbourne on Saturday night.
The arrest led to a raid on a house in Burnside, in Melbourne's west, on Monday where police arrested three family members accused of being ringleaders of the syndicate.Investigators seized 5kg of heroin, with an alleged wholesale value of $A million and street value of $A9 million, 1.5kg of the illegal drug ice and cash, drug taskforce boss Inspector Doug Fryer told reporters.Police allege the syndicate paid couriers to travel to South-East Asia and return with heroin concealed inside their bodies. Drugs were also brought to Melbourne from other Australian states."They use a network of couriers recruited from various areas in Melbourne for a fee," Insp Fryer said."They (the drugs) are hidden by internal concealments. Having any illicit drug inside your body can result in death, so it's high risk."It's high risk for the couriers with death penalty provisions in other countries – even in Australia there's significant imprisonments handed out for just being a courier let alone the syndicate organisers."Insp Fryer said police had been investigating the syndicate for six months along with Customs, the Australian Crime Commission and Australian Federal Police.Six men and women had already been arrested and charged with being couriers for the syndicate, bringing in heroin from Vietnam, he said.As a result, prospective couriers were probably then reluctant to import heroin, but organisers continued running the syndicate anyway, concentrating on sourcing heroin within Australia, police said.Two people were charged on Monday including 52-year-old woman Thi Loan Tran, of Burnside, who was remanded at Sunshine Court for drug importation and trafficking offences.A 27-year-old man was bailed on similar charges.The raids had put a significant dent in Melbourne's heroin trade but a steady supply of the drug still existed in the city.

$7.75 million worth of dope was going to be smuggled out of Pearson by ramp workers with links to the gangs

The $7.75 million worth of dope was going to be smuggled out of Pearson by ramp workers with links to the gangs, police say.Crime gangs in the GTA were to be the final stop for 300 kilos of pot and hash seized on two flights from Jamaica at Pearson airport, the RCMP says. Eight drug-filled duffel bags were found March 13 by crew off-loading a plane, said Patrizia Giolti, of the Canada Border Services Agency. The seizure wasn't made public until yesterday as officers were hoping to run down the smugglers. The bags contained 41 bricks of marijuana weighing over 95 kilos, and 65 bricks of hashish and hash oil weighing over 98 kilos, Giolti said.
Later that day there was a second bust after Mingo, a drug detector dog, led officers to four pieces of baggage that contained 69 kilos of pot, 46 kilos of hashish and a kilo brick of cocaine. "There were no addresses or labels on the bags," Giolti said yesterday. "The drugs were found wrapped in cellophane."
Airport officers are seizing up to six unclaimed bags daily filled with drugs, RCMP Sgt. Marc LaPorte said.

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Police have seized 1.5 kilograms of heroin from a Tajik national in the town of Lyubertsy southeast of Moscow

Police have seized 1.5 kilograms of heroin from a Tajik national in the town of Lyubertsy southeast of Moscow, a Moscow Region police spokesman said on Sunday. The narcotics were discovered in a hiding place in an apartment rented by an unemployed Tajik national, the spokesman said. Most of the heroin and hashish coming into Russia originates in Afghanistan and is then trafficked into the country through the former Soviet republics of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Most of the drugs are then sold in Russia's largest cities, or shipped onto Europe. The Federal Drugs Control Service said earlier that Russian drug control officers have seized some 500 kg (1,100 lbs) of heroin since the beginning of the year, up 70% year-on-year.

Arrested Two B.C. men in a truck carrying $3.5-million in cocaine

Two B.C. men are facing charges after being pulled over in a truck carrying $3.5-million in cocaine, U.S. media are reporting.The men were pulled over in California between the towns of Barstow and Victorville, about 150 kilometres northeast of Los Angeles. Police noticed their truck bed appeared shallower than it should be.Police seized the vehicle, and used a fork lift to remove the truck bed. They discovered an elaborately hidden stash of powdered cocaine totalling 68 kilograms with a street value local police think to be about $3.5-million.The B.C. men are in their 20s, according to the report.

53-year-old man has been arrested at Prestwick Airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle a quantity of cocaine into the country.

53-year-old man has been arrested at Prestwick Airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle a quantity of cocaine into the country. The man was stopped by officers from the UK Border Agency on Tuesday night after he got off a flight from Spain. Police were called after he was found to be in possession of drugs, believed to be cocaine, with an estimated street value of £60,000. The man was expected to appear at Ayr Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Roman Vidal, 57, allegedly smuggled millions of dollars in black market cigarettes through the Port of Miami on behalf of European gangs

Roman Vidal, 57, allegedly smuggled millions of dollars in black market cigarettes through the Port of Miami on behalf of European gangs --- including the Real IRA, which has claimed responsibility for an attack on a four soldiers waiting for a pizza delivery.The brutal killings -- which included execution shots to wounded victims lying on the ground -- threaten to derail the peace process in Northern Ireland, with one Protestant leader warning that it might signal a return to the "bad old days where people are being killed in open air gun attacks."Vidal fronted a freight company that imported millions of cigarettes from Panama, hid them under wood flooring and insulation in freighters at the Port of Miami and then sent them to gangs in Dublin, according to the complaint. He's been charged with four counts of federal wire and mail fraud.An informant tipped Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Miami to Vidal's scheme in Feb. 2006, and agents began watching Vidal's business and checking his recent shipments.They found that the previous December, Vidal shipped 7.3 million cigarettes from Panama to Miami, purchased wood flooring at a local hardware store, and then covered the shipment with floorboards. When the cargo arrived in Dublin, Vidal's Irish contacts paid only $2,900 in tariffs and pocketed the $2.1 million they avoided in taxes.Vidal pulled an identical scheme last February, ICE agents say, shipping about 6 million Panamanian cigarettes hidden under building insulation to the UK. As agents dug into Vidal's criminal enterprise, they learned that he worked for "a criminal organization that has associates operating in Spain, Ireland, and other European countries as well as in the Southern District of Florida."During the course of the investigation, evidence has indicated that some of these associates were connected to the group Real IRA," says Robert Manzanares, a senior special agent with ICE, in his criminal complaint.

Heroin worth an estimated €250,000 has been seized following the search of an apartment in Adamstown.

Heroin worth an estimated €250,000 has been seized following the search of an apartment in Adamstown.As the result of an intelligence led operation, gardaí searched an apartment in the Adamstown area of Lucan, Co Dublin last night.A car was also seized and taken to Kevin St for a technical examination. During this examination, which was carried out this morning, 1.25kg of heroin were discovered.This substance, depending on a forensic analysis, has a potential street value of €250,000.Certain paraphernalia associated with drug dealing were also seized from the apartment.
No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.

Julian Burford, 40, and Turner D. Williams, 34, were arrested.

Julian Burford, 40, and Turner D. Williams, 34, were arrested. The men are being held in Cleveland City Jail for investigation of aggravated drug trafficking. No formal charges have been filed.investigation Tuesday netted more than 70 pounds of cocaine with a street value of more than $5 million.Officers investigating the drug trafficking operation learned that a truckload of cocaine originating in California was en-route to Cleveland."This is another example of our never-ending fight against narcotics trafficking in this area," said McGrath. "As long as criminals continue to bring drugs into Cleveland, we will continue to send them to the penitentiary."
"This poison was destined for the streets of Greater Cleveland," said Murphy. "This seizure and these arrests should serve as a warning to anyone else who might consider bringing drugs to our cities."

Ex-paramilitary leader Miguel Angel Mejia Munera was handcuffed and wearing a bullet-proof before he boarded a plane for the United States

Ex-paramilitary leader Miguel Angel Mejia Munera was handcuffed and wearing a bullet-proof before he boarded a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) plane in Bogota bound for the United States, which had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.Colombia extradited one of its most-wanted drug lords to the United States on Wednesday to face charges of running an armed cocaine-smuggling gang with his twin brother, police said."With all the necessary procedures completed, Miguel Angel Mejia Munera was carried on a DEA plane to the United States," Colombian police said in a statement.Mejia, 49, had been held in a high-security prison in Colombia since his arrest last May. He is expected to be charged with drug trafficking and money laundering after his arrival in Miami.The U.S. State Department says he and his brother, Victor, shipped at least 68 tonnes of cocaine to the United States and Europe over a two-year period before their network was broken up in 2003.Victor Mejia was killed in a shootout with police days before his brother, known as "The Twin," was found in a secret compartment of a truck headed to Bogota.The brothers were leaders of far-right militias embroiled in a four-decade-old armed conflict in the world's top cocaine producer.They helped negotiate a controversial peace deal with President Alvaro Uribe starting in 2003 but refused to surrender after the talks and instead set up a cocaine smuggling network staffed by demobilized militia members.Paramilitary groups formed in the 1980s to help wealthy Colombians fight left-wing rebels. They also massacred civilians, trafficked cocaine and seized farmland in the name of the counter-insurgency.Since Uribe took office in 2002, he has led a U.S.-funded military crackdown and extradited more than 700 Colombians. But the South American nation still produces at least 600 tonnes of cocaine a year, most of which is sold on the streets of the United States and Europe

Two Guyanese women en route to separate African destinations were arrested at airports in Brazil and Portugal

Two Guyanese women en route to separate African destinations were arrested at airports in Brazil and Portugal after cocaine concealed in liquid eyeliner containers were discovered in their checked luggage, police said yesterday.
A release from the Force stated that they have been informed that on February 11, Portuguese customs officials at Lisbon airport seized over 16 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside liquid eyeliner containers placed in the checked baggage of a 42-year-old Guyanese female. She was travelling from Portugal to Brazil to Guinea Bissau, West Africa.The release added that on the following day, authorities at the Guarulhos Cumbica International Airport, Sao Paolo, Brazil, arrested a 26-year-old Guyanese woman travelling to Nigeria. Her checked baggage was found to contain 4 kilograms of cocaine which were also concealed in liquid eyeliner containers

Revenue's Customs Service seized money, cocaine and a large haul of cigarettes over the weekend at Dublin Airport.

Officers from the Revenue's Customs Service seized money, cocaine and a large haul of cigarettes over the weekend at Dublin Airport.Two sums of cash, €28,450 and €34,900, were seized yesterday when officers searched the baggage of two Irish nationals, aged 44 and 32, who were about to board a flight to Malaga.Officers were granted two-month detention orders this morning in each case by Justice Brian Smyth in the Dublin District Court, to carry out further investigations.On Saturday, officers intercepted a 25-year-old Polish man who had arrived on a flight from Brussels. He was found to have ingested 84 pellets of cocaine weighing approximately 1Kg with a street value of €70,000. He was handed over to the Garda Drug squad in Santry.A total of 373,000 cigarettes and one vehicle were also seized over the weekend in a number of operations targeting cigarette smuggling gangs. Customs officers at Dublin Airport have seized €1 million worth of drugs, €129,000 in cash and six million cigarettes to date in 2009.

Authorities say trash bags containing marijuana, tobacco and cell phones were thrown over a wall at Talawanda Heights

Authorities say trash bags containing marijuana, tobacco and cell phones were thrown over a wall at a minimum-security housing facility near Oklahoma State Penitentiary.Capt. Don Hass of the McAlester Police Department says three Tulsa women were arrested in the smuggling attempt after a neighbor called authorities.
The incident occurred Friday at Talawanda Heights which is a 69-bed minimum security unit outside the east gate of the main OSP facility. It houses inmates used in OSP support positions such as maintenance and kitchen work.Deputy Warden Linda Morgan says an inmate at the main prison has an association with 1 of the women and an investigation is under way.

Officers of the Narcotics Bureau (NB) arrested six men, aged between 21 to 43, and seized 12 kg of cocaine worth about $10.5 million at Tsim Sha Tsui

Officers of the Narcotics Bureau (NB) arrested six men, aged between 21 to 43, and seized 12 kg of cocaine worth about $10.5 million at Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday (February 16).Officers of the NB have closely monitored a transnational drug trafficking syndicate in January, in which the syndicate was actively involved in arranging cocaine from overseas to be shipped to Hong Kong for local distribution.Acting on intelligence, a consignment of cocaine would be collected from the airport and delivered to a premises in Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday. Officers of the NB mounted a joint operation with the Customs and Excise Department (C&E) at a premises at Granville Circuit in Tsim Sha Tsui and arrested two men who were unpacking the consignment of cocaine yesterday afternoon. Four other men who were suspected to be in connection with the case were also arrested in the vicinity.With the assistance of C&E officers, it was identified that the consignment of cocaine was packed inside 20 boxes of cocoa powder, with an estimated total weight of 12 kg and a retail value of about $10.5 million. Investigations revealed that the drugs were shipped to Hong Kong from Ecuador via Panama and Amsterdam. The six men were arrested for trafficking in dangerous drugs and were still being detained for further enquiries. Active investigations by the NB are underway.

Spanish police have detained 10 people and shut down a cocaine processing lab in Madrid

Spanish police have detained 10 people and shut down a cocaine processing lab in Madrid, police said Tuesday. Police also seized 3.2 kg of drugs, authorities said. Those arrested were part of an alleged drug trafficking cartel from Dominican Republic, police said. Police said the cartel introduced drugs to Spain through the Dominican Republic and Central America. The group was headquartered in Santo Domingo and led by a man linked to Colombian drug traffickers. The ring operated in Spain in the Teutan district of Madrid, police said. The cartel also distributed cocaine in Scotland and Italy. Italian police have detained members of the cartel with another 0.8 kg of drugs, police said.

Seized 423 kg of cocaine in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo.

Brazilian Federal Police announced on Wednesday the seizure of 423 kg of cocaine in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo. Two people were arrested in the operation on the SP-330 state road on the outskirts of Ribeirao Preto, the police said. Two rifles and four machine guns were also seized. The cocaine was found hidden in a truck carrying corn. The police said they started investigating the case two weeks ago and focused on one of the arrested who organized the shipment. The person was also suspected of smuggling weapons to one of the largest gangster groups in the country.

South African Airways flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow Crew members arrested.

Second time in a fortnight that an airline crew has been detained at Heathrow. The 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.

Nichanat Pussarangsi, aka Aoi , arrested, at her apartment unit in Soi Onnuj 17 and seized 190 grammes of cocaine.

Arrest of two Thai members of a drug gang that tricks Thai women into becoming drug couriers is just the first step in a clampdown on a West Africa-based drug trafficking network.Narcotics Suppression Bureau chief Wuthi Liptapanlop views the case in which he and his investigative team spent nine months as only a half measure of success.The team is taking further steps to bring the masterminds - the West African drug traffickers - to justice, he said.The arrest is just the first in a series of exciting scenes that will follow, said Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi, as his team works with foreign police to close in on the culprits.On Feb 5 officers nabbed Nichanat Pussarangsi, aka Aoi India, 37, at her apartment unit in Soi Onnuj 17 and seized 190 grammes of cocaine. They also swooped on Wanna Wiriyanon, 39, who possessed cocaine weighing 30 grammes, in front of Pata department store in the Pin Klao area.The two women helped the gang in its recruitment of female drug mules, mainly from restaurants and nightspots in the Nana, Patpong and Sukhumvit areas. They deceived them into carrying drugs mainly from India to sell in China.India is a hub where drugs smuggled from Pakistan or Afghanistan are transported to other countries such as China and the United States, police said.Gang members often trick people into becoming involved by offering them jobs abroad, typically as house maids and restaurant waitresses, police said.But when they arrive in India, they are intimidated into transporting drugs. "These ladies are tormented and forced to do the job," Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi said. "I would say the gang members are inhumane. The ladies have two options: to die there or to work for the gangs."
The women are ordered to hide drugs in bags, shoes and other belongings on their trips to China. Some women are forced to swallow drugs - they are told they are swallowing gold pieces to avoid tax charges.Most women obey their orders because they believe it is the only way they can return to Thailand. However, Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi said many of these women came to tragic ends. They were arrested either before leaving India or reaching China.Police said 58 Thai women have been arrested in China and 10 in India.Many have been sentenced to death because they are unable to provide evidence to prove they were deceived into trafficking drugs, Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi said.Thai officers now looking into the case hope to help Thai women who, he said, are victims, not criminals.The Narcotics Suppression Bureau is working with the Foreign Ministry to help women who are being prosecuted in the two countries. Many could face life in jail or the death sentence if urgent action is not taken."But at this point, I still have no idea how much we can help them," Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi said.His team needs to find evidence to back the argument that the women are in fact being manipulated by gangs.
Labelling it as an "astonishing case", Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi said the gang's activities were not easily monitored or traced in Thailand because the drugs are not kept here. As a result, many women have been lured to work with the gang without the police being aware.
"It's astonishing," Pol Lt-Gen Wuthi said. "The crime connects many countries. We have a lot of work to do to trace its network."

Zanada Moses of Baltimore, Md., was indicted on charges of importation of and possession with the intent to distribute heroin

woman arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on heroin smuggling charges has been indicted by a federal grand jury.U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said on Wednesday that 24-year-old Zanada Moses of Baltimore, Md., was indicted on charges of importation of and possession with the intent to distribute heroin with an estimated street value of $1 million.Nahmias said Moses arrived at the airport after a flight from Panama City, Panama, on Jan. 15.He said that during a customs inspection, officers recovered about two pounds of heroin, with some of it hidden inside the defendant's body and some taped to her stomach.Her attorney, Thomas Hawker, said he will enter a not guilty plea. Arraignment is expected later this week.

Woman was arrested at Birmingham airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle cannabis with a street value of £60,000 into the country.

woman was arrested at the city’s airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle cannabis with a street value of £60,000 into the country.
The woman, in her 20s, was stopped by UK Border Agency officers on Wednesday after arriving on a flight from Jamaica.She was arrested after 21 kilos of cannabis was found in baggage. She was released on bail until April.Customs senior investigation officer, John Theobald, said: “This is another excellent result and sends out a clear message that regional airports like Birmingham are not a soft touch for drug smuggling.“This demonstrates our continuing efforts to reduce the devastating effects of drugs in our communities.”

F.B.I. shoots suspect taking down drug ring

Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted raids in several locations in Bridgeport early Wednesday morning, taking down an apparent drug ring.Thirty-four individuals were arrested in the raids, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Charges include possession and distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin throughout Bridgeport and Fairfield County. It's the culmination of a year long investigation dubbed 'Operation G-Force' which included federal, state and local law enforcement.Court appointed lawyers were called down to the federal court house to represent the herd of defendants. "They had every one of the defendants in the jury selection room which is just one open room. And it was very crowded, " said Frank Riccio, an attorney for one of the defendants.During the raids an agent accidentally shot one of the suspects. He is being treated at St. Vincent's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The FBI will conduct a separate investigation into the shooting.None of the 34 arrested made bail.Indictments of other suspects not arrested in the raids remain sealed.

Four men are convicted of smuggling 2.9 million dollars worth of cocaine...and laundering millions of dollars.

Four men are convicted of smuggling 2.9 million dollars worth of cocaine...and laundering millions of dollars.U.S. Attorneys sentenced four Mexican nationals to lengthy prison terms for being part of a cocaine drug smuggling ring.Ice agents busted them during an investigation in March of 2008.The investigation identified a warehouse where drug money was being delivered and cocaine was being loaded and shipped to big cities.

Police in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday busted MV Rothen that arrived in that country from Guyana with over sixty million Jamaican dollars in cocaine.

Police in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday busted a ship that arrived in that country from Guyana with over sixty million Jamaican dollars in cocaine.
Reports out of that country stated that the vessel, MV Rothen arrived at the Kingston Wharf on Tuesday from Guyana.Stabroek News confirmed that the ship docked at the John Fernandes Wharf on January 23 and sailed out the following day.
According to The Gleaner newspaper some 81.5 pounds of cocaine worth J$62 million was found on the boat which was scheduled to leave for Panama after picking up cargo.
The newspaper sad that the ship’s five-member crew, a German captain and four Filipinos, were arrested but not charged and was later returned to the ship, which is being held by that country’s customs department, where they continue to be detained.Sources say it was more than likely that the cocaine was loaded onto the Rothen from a boat which pulled up alongside it while it was moored at Port Georgetown. The source said this is something that occurs and necessitates the presence of the coast guard in the port area. The sources say the cocaine was found in bags in the hull of the vessel.

Cheddi Jagan :Fifty-nine-year-old citizen of the United States of America is presently in police custody after a quantity of cocaine was discovered

Fifty-nine-year-old citizen of the United States of America is presently in police custody after a quantity of cocaine was discovered in her hand luggage.The incident occurred at around 08:45 hrs yesterday, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, as the woman was about to board a flight back to her homeland.According to a police press release, a check by ranks revealed that a total of 1kg. 235 grams of suspected cocaine was concealed in the checked luggage and hand piece of the woman’s luggage.
The woman’s daughter, Petal Caesar, told Kaieteur News that her mother received a call from a friend in the US on Saturday night, asking her to carry up her (the caller) son’s photo album.The son and daughter-in-law of the woman who made the request both came to the home and dropped off the album.She explained that, “My mother just took the album and placed it in her granddaughter’s suitcase, since her own was filled.”
The daughter said that she did not accompany her mother to the airport, but other relatives were there with her.She said that about a half an hour later, she got a phone call informing her about what had happened at the airport.Caesar said that her mother told the police everything, and the police went to the home of the two persons, but they had left the building.The daughter opined that the couple may have gotten a tip-off from persons who knew what had taken place at the airport.She said that her mother has been travelling back and forth between Guyana and the US for some 26 years, and nothing like this ever happened before.According to police sources, charges may be instituted against the woman.

Arrest of three Guyanese on Saturday, including a brother and sister, in Trinidad with various amounts of cocaine.

Arrest of three Guyanese on Saturday, including a brother and sister, in Trinidad with various amounts of cocaine.
Officials in Trinidad have confirmed that they have held a Guyanese taxi driver after cocaine was found in the walls of his suitcase. They have also held a Florida-based real estate broker and his sister who had the illegal drug strapped to their bodies.The suspects arrived in Trinidad on Saturday, and were in-transit to other destinations when they were apprehended.According to a source in the twin-island republic, at about 07:50 hours, the 34-year-old Guyanese taxi driver was about to board BW 416 en route to St. Maarten when officers from the Organized Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force, who were on patrol at the airport, carried out a search of his luggage.
During the search, 2.6 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of TT$1M, were discovered.He was charged for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
And, seven hours later, the 34-year-old real estate broker and his 36-year-old sister were about to board BW 480 en route to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA when they, too, were searched by the officers, who had observed their suspicious actions.
The drug agents found two kilograms of cocaine with a street value of TT$800,000 strapped to the man’s body.Another three kilograms of the drug, valued at TT$1.2M, were found concealed in a similar manner on his sister.They were also arrested and charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The trio is scheduled to appear before a magistrate at the Arima Magistrate’s Court today.
Saturday’s exercise was headed by Senior Superintendent of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force, Simon Alexis, and included ranks from the Customs and Excise Department on the island.Trinidadian officials have expressed concerns about the passengers being able to pass undetected through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

Jose Antonio Avianeda Bahena,is being held in the St. Francis County Jail on charges

Troopers say they stopped Jose Antonio Avianeda Bahena, 23, of Brevard, N.C., on Sunday after watching him follow another car too closely and seeing his brake light was out. Troopers say a police dog sniffing around the car jumped through an open window to reach the car's center console. Underneath the console were 12 bundles of cocaine, weighing more than 26 pounds, police said. Bahena is being held in the St. Francis County Jail on charges of defective equipment, felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and felony possession of drug paraphernalia.

15-member crew of a South African Airways jetliner was arrested today at London's Heathrow Airport

15-member crew of a South African Airways jetliner was arrested today at London's Heathrow Airport after border agents found 110 pounds of marijuana and about 10 pounds of cocaine in three suitcases, AFP reports. The crew — 10 women and five men, including the pilot — was detained while passing through a customs checkpoint, shortly after landing on the flight from Johannesburg. The pot was valued at $210,000 and the coke roughly $320,000."Interviews will be taking place and will probably go into tomorrow, and then we will decide whether we are going to charge anyone," a Revenue and Customs spokesman said.

Moorhead authorities seized $2,000 worth of white heroin, a semiautomatic handgun and $2,600 in an investigation that also led to arrests

Moorhead authorities seized $2,000 worth of white heroin, a semiautomatic handgun and $2,600 in an investigation that also led to the arrest of four people. A traffic stop in the 1800 block of 20th Street South in Moorhead late Thursday led to the seizure of 41 bindles of white heroin, which is similar in appearance to a powder cocaine and very rare in the region, Moorhead Lt. Brad Penas said. Black tar heroin is more common in the area, he said.


During the traffic stop, police arrested Alfredo Portales, 32, believed to be from Wisconsin, and Reva Martinez, 30, of an unknown address, according to a news release.Portales is being held on suspicion of first-degree possession of a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm. Martinez is being held on suspicion of first-degree possession of a controlled substance.A search warrant was then executed, resulting in the seizure of three-quarters of a pound of marijuana and a small amount of white heroin. That led to the arrest of Raul Garcia, 28, Moorhead, who is being held on suspicion of second-degree and fourth-degree controlled substance possession, the release said. Police also arrested Ruben Medrano, 39, Moorhead, during the investigation on outstanding felony warrants, the release said.