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Top Ten Cities for arresting Americans


The top 10 cities where Americans were arrested and the number taken into custody:
1. Tijuana: 520
2. Guadalajara: 416
3. Nuevo Laredo: 359
4. London: 274
5. Mexico City: 208
6. Toronto: 183
7. Nassau, Bahamas: 108
8. MĆ©rida, Mexico: 99
9. Nogales, Mexico: 96
10. Hong Kong: 90

Arrests WorldWide (Drug Enforcement)

Arrests WorldWide (Drug Enforcement)

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2,500 citizens are arrested abroad. One third of the arrests are on drug-related charges. Many of those arrested assumed as U.S. citizens that they could not be arrested. From Asia to Africa, Europe to South America, citizens are finding out the hard way that drug possession or trafficking equals jail in foreign countries.
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Wednesday, March 28

Ben Cousins back in Perth after being arrested over drugs

 

TROUBLED former footballer Ben Cousins has touched down at Perth Airport after being released on bail, following his arrest on serious drugs charges. Cousins stated "I've got nothing to say," as he walked past the waiting media pack in the baggage hall at Perth Domestic Airport this evening. His flight touched down at 9.25pm but there was no one to greet him on arrival and a clearly agitated Cousins walked around the terminal for at least 10 minutes as he waited to be collected. Eventually, he was escorted by four police officers out to the carpark, where it is believed his partner Maylea Tinecheff picked him up. It is believed there may have been a heated confrontation between Cousins and a television journalist and cameraman, who were on the same flight, as they entered the terminal building from the tarmac. Ben Cousins' highs and lows The troubled times of Ben Cousins There were many cheers of support for Cousins from members of the public as he wandered through the airport. Cousins arrested at Esperance Airport Cousins was arrested at 7.15pm last night at the airport by waiting police and was released on bail after being charged with possession of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply. He was represented in court by David Grace QC and given bail on the condition he remain in Esperance but it's understood he attempted to return to Perth and was re-arrested by police shortly after. The 33-year-old this afternoon appeared in the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court at 3.30pm via video link and was again released on bail on a personal undertaking of $2000. Sources have told PerthNow that a few Richmond players had been to visit Cousins in recent months to support him and said he still seemed troubled. The recovering drug addict had been attending a drug rehabilitation centre in Esperance, the Teen Challenge Substance Abuse Recovery and Prevention Centre, for the past month but was seen in Perth on the weekend with his young baby Bobby Ernest and partner Maylea Tinecheff. Teen Challenge director Malcolm Smith refused to comment but a former patient told PerthNow Cousins was unlikely to be kicked out of rehab because drugs were not brought into the centre. Cousins, a Brownlow medalist and WA football legend, has battled drug addiction for years. He was hospitalised in Perth earlier this year after suffering a fall at a drug rehabilitation centre. A witness at Esperance Airport, Dan, who does not want his surname published, told PerthNow he saw Cousins inside the terminal of the airport shortly before he was arrested. He said he saw two men approach Cousins inside the airport near the luggage carousel, shake hands with him, before Cousins walked outside. "He looked really healthy, I actually thought he was a surfer,” Dan said "He looked very fresh.” Dan said he assumed the men he saw go up to Cousins inside the airport were friends of his. "He shook hands with them and he (Cousins) had a friendly smile, like he knew them,” Dan said. "They all seemed like they were friends.” Rob Tate told AFL.com.au he witnessed Cousins get arrested at Esperance Airport. "It wasn't like a big scene or anything like that," he said. "There was (sic) a couple of detectives who turned up in suits. "When the plane landed they just walked over to Ben and grabbed him." Mr Tate said the police then took Cousins into a nearby room, closing the curtains. As part of his bail conditions, Cousins must report to police three times a week and live at a specific residential address, which he nominated as his current home in North Beach. A court spokesman said the nominated police station Cousins must report to is Scarborough. Cousins will reappear in the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday April 2. Possessing more than four grams of methylamphetamine with intent to sell or supply carries a maximum penalty of $100,000 fine and/or 25 years' jail. Possessing between two and four grams with intent to sell or supply carries a maximum penalty of $5000 and/or four years' jail and can be heard by a magistrate.

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Monday, March 26

Jobless dealer had exotic holidays

 David Kemp was jailed for four years A JOBLESS drug dealer who enjoyed a “cash-rich” lifestyle of exotic holidays, expensive jewellery and an apartment in an exclusive part of town has been jailed for four years. David Kemp paid for his overseas trips in cash and spent more than £2,000 on a designer watch – all while claiming unemployment benefits, Teesside Crown Court was told. When police raided his riverside apartment in Sunderland, they found expensive furnishings and equipment, as well as cannabis and £6,000 in cash. Kemp’s passport showed he had recently visited Thailand and had made currency changes worth £4,000. There was also cash from Cambodia, Brazil and the US in the flat. Police searched the property after stopping the 33-year-old in a car in Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, in December 2010, and finding more than £18,000 in a bag on the back seat. Kemp – who had last worked as a spray-painter in 2006 – admitted receiving benefits, but told officers that he knew how to play the machines in betting shops and had a generous family. Nine months later, he was stopped again in his car – this time on the A1, near Skeeby, in North Yorkshire – when he had nearly £7,000-worth of cannabis bush in the boot. Kieran Rainey, mitigating, said Kemp had run up £20,000 gambling losses, as well as other debts, and had resorted to becoming a drug dealer after being a cannabis user since his teens. “He realises he took a wrong turn,” Mr Rainey told Judge Peter Bowers. Kemp, of Echo Buildings, West Wear Street, Sunderland, admitted possessing criminal property, possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply and possessing Class B drugs.

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Ghanaian transit passenger suspected of attempting to smuggle 2.3 kilogrammes of cocaine via Dubai International Airport

 

Ghanaian transit passenger suspected of attempting to smuggle 2.3 kilogrammes of cocaine via Dubai International Airport was recently referred to the Dubai Criminal Court. IN, 30, appeared before Judge Hamad Abdul Jawwad on Thursday following accusations of carrying six tinfoil wraps containing some 2,300 grammes of cocaine on Dec.20 last year. Following his arrest, the police had estimated the value of the contraband at Dhs370,000. Records show that IN was on his way from Sao Paulo to Accra when he was arrested by inspection officers inside the transit hall. Meanwhile, IN said that he was on his way from Brazil via Dubai to Ghana. And that his brother in Brazil gave him a bag in which there were rolls of things he could not fully reveal to him. He said that he did not know what he was carrying. “At first he told me, I was to deliver a laptop after that he brought the bag of rolls and requested me to keep them safe until delivered to his accomplice in Ghana,” he said. “He had not apparently identified the accomplice to me,” he added. On being asked for his demands before the court, IN had to say: “With God’s mercy, I request for forgiveness.” The verdict has been set for April 2. According to the arraignment sheet, an Emirati police corporal had testified that IN drew suspicion after he appeared nervous. “I passed his two bags through the scanning device and recognised unusual lumps on their sides. I informed the anti-narcotics captain incharge,” said Corporal AS, 32, adding that IN was then referred to the anti-narcotics offices at Terminal 1. “On searching both the green and dark grey bags manually, six wraps all containing a white powder were seized.” A forensic report revealed that the powder weighing 2,300 grammes wrapped in tin foils was cocaine.

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Eight charged in 'biggest ever' Swedish drug bust

 

Eight people have been charged for their part in the “biggest ever” cocaine ring in Sweden, in which several tons of cocaine at a value of 4.5 billion kronor ($665 million) had been imported from Columbia. Man dies after hospital mistakes stroke for drugs (16 Mar 12) Swedish schools deploy drug sniffing dogs (3 Mar 12) Swedes arrested in major European drug bust (12 Jan 12) The eight people, whose names were not given, were charged with aggravated narcotics crime, drug smuggling and money laundering for crimes committed between 2006 and 2010, Sweden's international prosecution authority said in a statement on Monday. The crimes, which took place between 2006 and 2010, were picked up on during a record drug bust in June 2010 on a sailboat off Martinique when a 56-year-old sailor was arrested with a 1.4 ton cargo of cocaine. A 39-year-old Swedish man was the mastermind behind the trafficking, but he is known to have had help from several people, including his 58-year-old mother. The investigation has been ongoing for three years, and Swedish police have had help from police in the US, Columbia and France, as well as extensive cooperation with European Union agencies Eurojust and Europol. "That police and prosecutors were able to cooperate over national borders was a prerequisite for getting this far," Karin Bergstrand at the international prosecution authority said in the statement. The 39-year-old has a lengthy history of criminal activities, including several counts of bank robbery in eastern Sweden, one of which he took a cashier hostage. He is also known for his escapes from authorities, once being taken by masked and gun wielding men from a correction centre, and once from a court by a man on a motorcycle after having just been sentenced to 12 years prison. The man’s mother is charged with having hidden 26 million kronor in a foundation in Switzerland. The criminal network is known to have spent 115 million kronor between 2007 and 2010, including the purchasing of houses and boats in up to five different countries. Members of the group are also charged with money laundering in Spain. "This is a hard blow to organized crime and shows that cooperation is the right way to hit the criminals where it hurts the most, by taking their money," Klas Friberg, the head of Sweden's national crime unit, said in the statement.

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2 Filipinos Get Death Penalty For Drug Smuggling

 

Philippine official says a Chinese court has sentenced two Filipinos to death for allegedly smuggling more than 26 pounds of heroin into China last year. Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said Friday that a woman and her male cousin were arrested at the Hangzhou International Airport in January 2011 after arriving from Dubai. The Hangzhou People's Intermediate Court handed down the death penalty last week. Hernandez says the court gave the man a two-year reprieve but not his cousin. He says the man has been to China 11 times and the woman 18 times since 2008 and received $2,000 to $3,000 per trip from a contact. China last year executed four Filipinos for drug smuggling despite appeals from the Philippine government.

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Sharon Armstrong to appeal Argentinian drug-smuggling conviction

 

Former deputy chief executive of the Maori Language Commission Sharon Armstrong was sentenced to four years and 10 months jail. Officials found more than 5kg of cocaine in her luggage at Buenos Aires Airport in April last year. The Wellington woman was on her way to London to meet a man she'd met online, who had asked her to travel via Argentine to pick up documents for him. The family spokesperson says Armstrong had no intention of smuggling drugs for the man, and believes she has a strong case, Radio New Zealand reported. The judge had accepted Armstrong was caught up in an online dating scam, the spokesperson said. Armstrong, who has spent 11 months in jail in Ezeiza, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, will be eligible for parole next year. NZN

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Professor from Kidderminster on drug smuggling charge claims he was duped

 

A distinguished professor from Kidderminster who was arrested in South America on suspicion of drugs smuggling has claimed he was duped into carrying the contraband. Paul Frampton, 68, has been held in an Argentinian jail since January, according to reports. Prof Frampton, who is originally from Kidderminster and studied at Oxford University, was arrested in Buenos Aires after two kilos of cocaine were allegedly found in his luggage as he prepared to fly back to his current home in the United States. A spokeswoman for the University of North Carolina (UNC) said he holds the current position of Distinguished Professor of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the establishment, but his salary has been stopped since the beginning of the month. In an interview with a local paper conducted while he was in prison, Prof Frampton protested his innocence and said he believed the truth would come out.

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Drug peddler sentenced to death in Punjab

 

Punjab-based drug peddler was today awarded death penalty by a special Narcotics court here for smuggling heroin five years ago. Special Judge (Narcotic Drugs and Physchotropic Substances Act) Shalini Singh Nagpal awarded death sentence to Balwinder Singh (40) and sentenced his accomplice Satnam Singh to 12 years rigorous imprisonment. This is the second instance this year that the court here awarded death sentence in the NDPS case. "Balwinder had escaped the Narcotics Control Bureau trap in 2005 when he and his associate Satnam Singh were intercepted with four kilograms of Heroin in Sector-24 of Chandigarh. "He was later arrested in February 2007 by Punjab police for trafficking two kilograms of heroin, a case which was taken over by the NCB," NCB Special Public Prosecutor Kailash Chander told PTI. While Balwinder was awarded a death sentence today, Satnam was awarded 12-years RI with a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh. Balwinder's repeat conviction in case of drug trafficking led to the awarding of death penalty under the provisions of the NDPS Act, he said. Balwinder was sentenced under section 31(A) of the NDPS Act which provides death sentence for certain drug offences on second conviction. The same NDPS court had earlier awarded death sentence to Paramjeet Singh for trafficking 10 kilograms of Heroin and supplying it to an African national, making it possibly the first case of capital punishment in a case of drug crime. The Special Public Prosecutor had told the court that Balwinder was a habitual offender and sought capital punishment from the court. The defence, however, had maintained that Balwinder was not a habitual offender and they had already challenged his previous conviction and sentence term in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

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Saturday, March 24

Durban headmistress has been sentenced to almost five years imprisonment in a British court after confessing to smuggling class A drugs into the country.

Annabella Momplé, 46, the former headmistress of Carrington Heights Primary School in Durban, was arrested at Heathrow Airport in December 2011 by UK Border Agency officials after being intercepted by sniffer dogs. 2.5kg of cocaine with a street value of £355,000 were found hidden in her rucksack. Momplé displayed no emotion as the verdict was read out at Isleworth Crown Court in west London, which sits directly beneath the flight path of the airport at which she was seized. Her arrest and imprisonment left school colleagues and her family reeling in shock. The headmistress, who has an unblemished career in teaching underprivileged children, had reportedly told colleagues she was attending her uncle’s funeral in Northern Ireland – the country of her birth – where she lived in Belfast up unto the age of 10 before moving to South Africa. Meanwhile she told her family she was travelling to the UK for a conference arranged by the education department. It transpired in court that she had actually become embroiled in an international drugs courier operation after her second husband, a gambling addict, had racked up huge debt that had plunged them both into deep financial trouble. Her incarceration for the offence was of particular concern to her family, of whom the spokesperson has been her brother, journalist Paddy Harper. He said, “My sister is a respected, committed educator who has made a significant contribution to the lives of hundreds of children. “She has an impeccable reputation as a school principal. Even the Education Department holds her in high regard.” He added that her teenage son from her first marriage was shattered and that the rest of the family were taking it badly, particularly their father, who recently survived a battle against cancer. They were unaware of the financial difficulties she had been experiencing. Defence counsel Dominic Chandler explained to the court how a significant amount of gambling debt was owed to criminals, for whom Momplé’s husband was forced to work to repay the cash, while also taking his wife’s money to cover it. Momplé, who suffers from high blood pressure, arthritis and depression, was asked twice to undertake an international courier operation to help clear the debt but refused. The court heard that it was only after Momplé’s doctor changed her prescription for her depression medication that Momplé changed her mind, citing the change of medication as a possible cause for her U-turn, also that she was told her house was about to be repossessed and that her husband would be seriously injured or killed if she didn’t agree to do it. The headmistress-turned-drug-mule claimed she did not fully know it was drugs that was to be transported, only that she suspected it, and had no idea of the full scale of the operation. It had reportedly become clear to her criminal associates that she was a particularly useful courier as she was in possession of a British passport, meaning she would arouse less suspicion at airport terminals. She was placed on a flight first to Sao Paolo, Brazil, where she picked up the package – white towels that had been impregnated with large amounts of cocaine to be later processed with a solvent – before travelling to Dublin via London to meet her contact. She was intercepted by drug dogs at Heathrow Airport  and arrested by border officials. She was remanded in custody at the nearby top-security Bronzefield Prison, the only purpose-built private prison for women in the UK and the largest in Europe. Serial killer Rose West was one of the most notorious prisoners housed there before having to be moved after a campaign of violent threats against her. The family’s shock over Momplé’s imprisonment was echoed by teaching colleagues, many of whom have written letters of commendation to the judge. Momplé was a scholarship student at Durban Girls’ College before commencing her career teaching underprivileged township children in the city, eventually becoming the headmistress of Carrington Heights Primary School. She is credited with transforming the lives of some of its poorest pupils, in particular an isolated child whose fees she paid for a year after teaching him English. The court heard how Momplé, while in remand at Bronzefield Prison, had even begun to teach and assist fellow inmates who themselves were victims of drug-related problems, after she realised the true extent of her crime and those it affects. The judge, in summing up, took the mitigating reports of her good character and conduct into consideration before deciding on her sentence. He said, “You are an intelligent woman, and despite your claimed naivety you knew exactly what you were doing. I need not dwell on the harm that would have been caused by the drugs you attempted to bring into the country. “Your offence is serious, and one that warrants imprisonment.” He added that he had taken into account the many glowing testimonies of her career and character, as well as the reports of her horror at what she had seen in prison and the steps she had taken to tackle it. The original starting tariff of eight years was reduced by a third owing to her guilty plea, then reduced by seven months due to her good character and her having no previous convictions, and finally reduced by the 101 days already served in custody. Four years and nine months was the final sentence. Momplé’s arrest last December came a week after two other South African women had made news headlines for drug-trafficking offences. Janice Linden, also from KwaZulu-Natal, was executed in China for attempting to smuggle 3kg of methamphetamine into the country in 2008. Meanwhile Nolubabalo Nobanda was arrested in Thailand after 1.5kg of cocaine was found concealed in her dreadlocks. The UK Border Agency emphasised in a statement its own tough stance on drug smuggling. “Border Agency officers are on constant alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep class A drugs and other banned substances out of the UK. We are determined to prevent this terrible trade, which can have such a destructive impact.” Momplé was invited to comment after the sentencing but declined to do so before being taken away.

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4 city workers, 8 inmates arrested in alleged smuggling attempt of crystal meth at Oahu jail


Four Honolulu city workers have been arrested after allegedly trying to smuggle crystal meth and other contraband onto jail grounds. City spokeswoman Louise Kim McCoy tells the Honolulu Star-Advertiser the city is aware of the arrests and is trying to gather more information. State Department of Public Safety officials say the four labor supervisors were arrested Thursday along with eight Oahu Community Correctional Center inmates as they were returning from a work detail. Sheriffs recovered what appeared to be crystal methamphetamine in small plastic bags, a glass pipe and bags of tobacco. Department Director Jodie Maesaka-Hirata says officials received a tip earlier this week about a different crew being unsupervised. While conducting surveillance Thursday, officials found a crew at a beach park, where they were not supposed to be. Maesaka-Hirata then directed all vehicles entering the jail be searched. The four supervisors were released pending an investigation and not charged.

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Feds charge Thai woman with smuggling prescription drugs


A woman from Thailand used two websites to sell prescription drugs domestically that can't legally be brought into the United States, according to an affidavit unsealed today in Pittsburgh federal court. Prosecutors have charged Duangthip Chutivaraporn, 32, with several counts of smuggling and fraud. She was arrested March 2 in eastern Louisiana and is being held in the Western District of Pennsylvania without bond, according to court records. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Sean Grillo, a special agent for the Food and Drug Administration, says in the affidavit that the Chutivaraporn family in Bangkok operates multiple online pharmacy websites that offer to sell prescription drugs without the need of a prescription. In particular, Duangthip Chutivaraporn was operating www.edrugnet.com and www.overseas-foreign-pharmacy.com, the affidavit says. Grillo, undercover, met with Chutivaraporn and two others on March 31 to discuss buying drugs wholesale, and Grillo subsequently used another identity to make a retail purchase of illegal generic versions of Abilify and Viagra and an Asia-only version of Zyprexa, the affidavit says.

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Two New Zealanders face up to four years in a US jail after being caught with nearly 6kg of cocaine aboard a cruise ship in San Francisco.

 

 Auckland businessman Tony Wilkinson, 42, and his girlfriend, Kirsty Harris, 25, from the Bay of Plenty, appeared in a San Francisco court where they were convicted of drug smuggling, TVNZ reported on Friday (NZT). The pair were aboard the cruise ship Aurora, which had docked in San Francisco in January, when customs officials found 7kg of cocaine in the cabin of Australian Ahmed Rachid. Rachid led the officials to the New Zealand pair, who tried to block the door and flush their drug paraphernalia down the toilet, before the door was broken down and the cocaine discovered. The nearly 6kg of the drug was worth $NZ2 million. US officials would not say where the cocaine came from or where it was going. Wilkinson has previously owned two Auckland bars on Ponsonby Road, and has business links to Colombia. The couple have been remanded in custody. The judge says they each face between three and four years in prison.

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Ghanaian couple, other Africans face drug smuggling charges in Philippines

Five African nationals including two Ghanaians believed to be a couple, have been charged formally by the Bureau of Customs in Philippines for alleged smuggling illegal drugs into that country, media reports say. According to the Manila Bulletin news publication March 22, 2012, the nationals – Lina Achieng Noah, a Kenyan woman; Josephine Balikuddembe, a Ugandan woman; Aicha Camara, a six-month pregnant woman from Guinea; and couple Joseph Yao Kyeremateng and Hamshawu Sulemana from Ghana, were charged before the country’s Department of Justice. They were charged for violation of certain provisions of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines. They were caught by customs authorities for allegedly smuggling 25 kilos of methampethamine hydrochloride also known as “shabu” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the report said. Noah arrived from Dubai on February 24 with nine kilos of “shabu” while Balikuddembe had three kilos of the same illegal drugs concealed in her luggage. Weeks after, Camara and couple Kyeremeteng and Sulemana brought into the country some 13 kilos of “shabu”. Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, according to the Manila Bulletin, said they could all be members of an international drug syndicate who have tried establishing its network in that country. “We will never allow the country to be used as a transshipment point for international drug syndicates, much more make it a market for their illegal drugs trade,” Biazon was quoted as saying.

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2 Filipinos Get Death Penalty For Drug Smuggling

Philippine official says a Chinese court has sentenced two Filipinos to death for allegedly smuggling more than 26 pounds of heroin into China last year. Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said Friday that a woman and her male cousin were arrested at the Hangzhou International Airport in January 2011 after arriving from Dubai. The Hangzhou People's Intermediate Court handed down the death penalty last week. Hernandez says the court gave the man a two-year reprieve but not his cousin. He says the man has been to China 11 times and the woman 18 times since 2008 and received $2,000 to $3,000 per trip from a contact. China last year executed four Filipinos for drug smuggling despite appeals from the Philippine government.

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Professor from Kidderminster on drug smuggling charge claims he was duped


A distinguished professor from Kidderminster who was arrested in South America on suspicion of drugs smuggling has claimed he was duped into carrying the contraband. Paul Frampton, 68, has been held in an Argentinian jail since January, according to reports. Prof Frampton, who is originally from Kidderminster and studied at Oxford University, was arrested in Buenos Aires after two kilos of cocaine were allegedly found in his luggage as he prepared to fly back to his current home in the United States. A spokeswoman for the University of North Carolina (UNC) said he holds the current position of Distinguished Professor of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the establishment, but his salary has been stopped since the beginning of the month. In an interview with a local paper conducted while he was in prison, Prof Frampton protested his innocence and said he believed the truth would come out. He told the Raleigh-based News and Observer: “I will not be convicted. It is just that the Argentinian justice system is very slow. “There is easily enough evidence that I didn’t know there were drugs in the bag, and that will come out, I hope sooner rather than later.” He has claimed he went to South America to meet a female friend - a well-known model - and it was her representative who was responsible for the drugs. The UNC spokeswoman added that a dean at the university recently visited Buenos Aires on business and had a meeting with the Argentine judiciary to discuss Prof Frampton’s case.

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Drug smugglers linked to B.C.-based Hells Angels sentenced in Seattle


Three key players in a multinational drug smuggling operation with ties to B.C.’s Hells Angels were sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Jacob Burdick, 34, of Marysville, Wash., was sentenced to 12 years for directing the distribution of drugs and money from a Kent, Wash. warehouse. A California couple, Michael Murphy, 62, and Pamela Marie Murphy, 58, of Penn Valley were sentenced to prison terms of 12 years and 18 months respectively. Michael served as the chief pilot in distributing B.C.-grown marijuana and cash across the United States to cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta. He would collect money made from marijuana sales and bring it back to California to purchase cocaine bound for B.C. Pamela Murphy assisted her husband in counting the cash and laundering it through an antiques business.

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Thursday, March 15

Waukesha man charged in 2 heroin deaths

 

Kevin S. Cobus is accused of supplying heroin to Jamie L. Hansen, 24, of Muskego and Cody C. Riggs, 26, of Delafield. Hansen was found unresponsive in her bedroom by her father on July 12 and was pronounced dead later that day. The man told authorities he was aware that Hansen was a heroin user, according to the criminal complaint filed against Cobus. Riggs died on Jan. 6. He was found not breathing in his bed by his brother, who told police Riggs had used heroin often, the complaint states. Cobus was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree reckless homicide/deliver drugs and bail was set at $100,000. Cobus appeared in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Tuesday and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 23. According to the criminal complaint, authorities began investigating Cobus after an inmate at the Waukesha County Jail told them in late August that a friend had told him Cobus had been with Hansen before her death. That friend and inmate called Cobus as a detective listened on a speaker phone and Cobus admitted he went to Milwaukee to get heroin for Hansen, but that it wasn't the drug that killed Hansen, the complaint says. Cobus told the callers Hansen must have picked up the heroin that killed her from someone else, the complaint states. But in late January, Cobus admitted during an interview with a detective that he bought $100 of heroin on July 11 for Hansen. Police also had records from Hansen's cellphone that showed multiple conversations on July 11 with Cobus regarding getting heroin. Riggs' brother also told investigators that Riggs and he were with Cobus on Jan. 5 and that they had gone to Milwaukee that day to purchase heroin. There were also records from Riggs' cellphone that showed text messages between Riggs and Cobus. Included was a text the brother sent from Riggs' phone to Cobus about Riggs' condition early the morning of Jan. 6. It stated, "is it okay that he's still not responsive???" Cobus also admitted going to Milwaukee with Riggs, his brother and a third person to get heroin and that he supplied them with needles and a cooker so they could inject the drug, the complaint says. If convicted, Cobus faces up to 25 years in prison followed by 15 years of extended supervision on each count.

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Tuesday, March 13

Heroin disguised as candy seized at Florida airport

 

U.S. Customs inspectors seized 172 lollipops with heroin hidden in their centers from a jittery smuggler at Orlando airport in Florida, the agency said on Tuesday. Don't miss these Travel stories NBC News New mark set for bikini parades In Panama City Beach, Fla., 450 women donned two-piece swimsuits, took to the beach and set a new Guinness World Record for the world’s largest bikini parade. Toddler's tantrum on flight grounds family Traveling with tots? Find a sitter in the sky TSA apologizes to mom for breast-pump gaffe It's a Snap: Travel photos from around the world Rafael Quinonez Jimenez, a 45-year-old Guatemalan, arrived on a flight from Central America on Friday and appeared "very nervous and was sweating profusely" as he passed through customs with his luggage, the arrest affidavit said. Agents searched his duffel bag and found 3.2 kilograms of heroin, or aabout 7 pounds, disguised as lollipops. "When one took off the outside wrapper, there was a thin layer of candy shell covering a ball of condensed heroin powder," Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent John Huang wrote in the affidavit. Quinonez was arrested on charge of possessing heroin with intent to distribute and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He had flown to Orlando from Guatemala City, Guatemala. He told investigators that a man he met at a gas station near his home had given him an airline ticket, a hotel reservation and $500 to carry the bag of candy to Florida, and told him he would be given delivery instructions after landing in Orlando. The Customs inspector said he doubted the story, since Quinonez was carrying $1,500 in cash and his demeanor suggested that he knew he was carrying contraband.

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Whiskey carrying case had heroin, police say

 

A Rhode Island Street man is being held on felony drug charges for allegedly having a cloth whiskey carrying case filled with 18 glassine bags of heroin as police questioned him late Thursday. Melvin Rivera, 20, is being held on a charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, which carries a prison term of up to 25 years, and a marijuana count. Buffalo Police Officers Michael Doctor and Richard Manley said they saw him drop the whiskey bag full of heroin as they confronted him in a house in the 200 block of Rhode Island about a “hand-to-hand drug transaction” they had observed earlier that night. He was charged with the marijuana count for allegedly having a bag of marijuana and a marijuana-filled cigar.

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Dubai customs foil heroin smuggling operation

 

Dubai inspectors helped foil an attempt to smuggle 10 kilograms of heroin through four countries, customs officials said yesterday. Topic Crime In an operation dubbed 'Heroin Flamingo' customs inspectors followed an Italian smuggler as he moved the drug from Peshawar to Rome, via Dubai and Zurich. Mr Ali Al Meghawi, the director of airport operations at Dubai Customs, said officials at Dubai International Airport's Terminal One became suspicious when two pieces of luggage arriving from Peshawar went unclaimed. "The bags were closely monitored and X-rayed and we found an unusual unevenness in their inside pockets as well as a distinguishing heroin-like odour stemming from them," he said. He said inspectors checked the passenger information on the bags and tracked them to an Italian passenger. However, when the passenger arrived, he went straight to the transit lounge and purchased a new ticket to Zurich, before requesting his luggage be boarded on the new flight. The inspectors then informed the Swiss authorities of their suspicions. Swiss officials then watched the man carried out a similar process in Zurich, where he purchased another ticket to Rome. After arriving in Rome he passed through passport control and collected his luggage. He was then arrested by Italian officials as he handed the two bags to another man waiting for him at the airport. Italian authorities said the bags contained 10kg of pure heroin hidden in secret pockets. Two other Italian men are being questioned by police in Rome.

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Monday, March 12

Drug trafficking brothers jailed for more than five years each

Two brothers who tried to flood the north-east of Scotland with heroin and cocaine have been jailed. Paul and Anthony Smith were jailed for more than five years each after they admitted transporting a "significant" amount of class-A drugs into Aberdeen and Shetland. The pair, originally from Liverpool, were sentenced at the High Court in Aberdeen on Monday after previously admitting being involved in the supply of heroin and cocaine between October 2010 and February last year. Detective Inspector Alex Dowall said: "These men were intent on flooding the streets of Aberdeen and Shetland with class-A drugs and were willing to take great risks in the process in order to turn a profit. "Ultimately though, as their sentences today prove, the risk is much greater than the potential reward." Anthony Smith, 30, was jailed for five years and seven months while his 27-year-old sibling received a sentence of five years and two months. Det Insp Dowall added: "This was a complex inquiry across two countries and three force areas and it should serve as a warning to others intent on bringing drugs into the north-east that it will not be tolerated. "Operation Limehouse is an example of Grampian Police working closely with other police forces across the UK in order to target those suspected of committing drugs offences. "It must also be said that the assistance provided by local communities in Aberdeen and Shetland in bring these individuals to justice was invaluable."

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War on drugs' big catch -- 'Viagra man'

 

one Kil Jun Lee, 71, of Westlake, Calif.  Lee allegedly tried to slip 29,827 counterfeit Viagra tablets, 8,993 counterfeit Cialis pills and 793 counterfeit Levitra tablets past authorities at LAX by hiding them in his golf bag and luggage. (Which, of course, was his first mistake, because as any wife who's been abandoned for five hours on a Sunday by her golf-addict husband can tell you, golf and sex never mix.) And it's not as though the law enforcement guys didn't have a sense of humor: According to the criminal complaint, Lee concealed the tablets in aluminum-foil-wrapped packets, and was questioned by authorities about whether the pills were all for personal use. He responded that he had a heart condition, and using all the pills would kill him. Oh, ha ha -- "all for your personal use." Also, Lee didn't come across as your typical hardened drug smuggler: He also said he "did not believe the pills were genuine," adding that "he was sorry" for bringing the pills and "will not do it again." Which, really, is good enough for me. A sincere apology and a promise not to be a repeat offender for what is, in a sense, a victimless crime. (Unless, of course, you paid good money for the counterfeit stuff -- but then again, caveat emptor!) So the Navy and Coast Guard will continue their futile efforts to stop Latin America's cartels.

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US investigating allegation of drug smuggling by Afghan Air Force

 

U.S. military investigators want to know whether members of the Afghan Air Force have been using American-financed aircraft to smuggle illicit drugs across the country. The military inquiry is being spearheaded by elements within International Security Forces-Afghanistan, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is leading a separate probe into the matter. The Wall Street Journal first reported about the inquiries late Wednesday. Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Bolger, commander of NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, told the Journal that the investigations are in the preliminary stages and said no evidence of trafficking has been uncovered. "The nature of the allegations is fairly dramatic and indicated that [AAF officials] were transporting drugs on aircraft and transported weapons not owned by the government of Afghanistan for the use of private groups," he said. American investigators are also looking into whether the suspected smuggling ring was tied to the shooting of eight U.S. Air Force officers by an Afghan Air Force colonel last April in Kabul. At the time, Taliban forces claimed responsibility for the killings. But the slain American officers were part of an ongoing investigation into misuse of Afghan aircraft by indigenous military personnel, the Journal reported. The Afghan Air Force’s arsenal consists mainly of Russian-made Mi-17 cargo helicopters, along with a handful of Mi-25 attack helicopters used to support ground elements of the Afghan National Security Forces. The Air Force is the lead service in charge of training and equipping the AAF under the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan. American air advisers and their Afghan counterparts are headquartered in Kabul. The majority of training operations are conducted at the Air Force’s facility in Shindand air base in western Afghanistan. The AAF played an instrumental role in the U.S. offensive into the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in 2010. Afghan airmen ferried ANSF troops and provided air cover for coalition forces during the battle, which kicked off President Obama’s surge strategy in Afghanistan that year.

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Australian man accused of smuggling drugs into Bali tried to escape from police custody after being arrested at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport

 

 Australian man accused of smuggling drugs into Bali tried to escape from police custody after being arrested at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport on Thursday, according to news reports. Edward Norman Myatt, 54, was detained by customs officers because he was acting strange after arriving at the airport, ABC News reported. Customs officers then attempted to drive Myatt to a nearby hospital for testing, but the Australian jumped from the car as it sat in traffic and attempted to run. He was then again caught by officers, the Australian news agency reported. Officers grabbed the 54 year old and transported him to the hospital, where they allegedly found one kilogram of hashish and seven grams of methamphetamine contained in 70 capsules hidden in his stomach. It was, in total, enough drugs for Myatt to face the death penalty in court. Myatt arrived in Bali on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok with two accomplices from France and England. The three were arrested by police. It is unknown if the other passengers were smuggling drugs as well. Customs officials presented Myatt, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, and a stash of drugs in a press conference Friday morning.

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David Lewis and Everardus Wijtvliet jailed


Border officials say long jail sentences given to two men who tried to smuggle drugs through Dover should act as a warning to others. Lorry driver David Lewis, of Buckley, Flintshire, and truck owner Everardus Wijtvliet, of Dussen, Netherlands, were given nine and 13 years respectively. They were convicted of smuggling 100 kilos of heroin and six kilos of cocaine at the Kent port. The UK Border Agency said it had been a "sophisticated drugs concealment". The agency estimated that the combined street value of the drugs was more than £5m. It said Canterbury Crown Court was told that Lewis, 49, was arrested in 16 July 2009 when the lorry and trailer were searched. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote This was a sophisticated drugs concealment and shows the lengths criminal gangs will go to in attempting to evade the UK's border controls” Malcolm Bragg UK Border Agency The drugs were found in packages in a space under a plate on the floor of the trailer. The agency said Dutch police searched Wijtvliet's house, and in his garden found trays similar to those in the lorry. Wijtvliet was arrested on the Spanish island of Tenerife in February 2011, on the same day that he was placed at number 10 on the Crimestoppers "UK's Most Wanted" list. Both men were convicted by jury of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition of controlled drugs and sentenced on Friday. Wijtvliet was found guilty in September 2011 and Lewis in February 2012. Malcolm Bragg, of the UK Border Agency, said the sentences "should act as a warning to those who attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into this country". "This was a sophisticated drugs concealment and shows the lengths criminal gangs will go to in attempting to evade the UK's border controls," he said. "Drug use destroys not only the lives of individual users, but also their families and the wider community."

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Zimbabwean woman was arrested in Hong Kong after being found in possession of hard drugs while en route to Thailand.

.A Zimbabwean woman was arrested in Hong Kong after being found in possession of hard drugs while en route to Thailand. Two other Zimbabweans are also languishing in Malaysian jails after being found in possession of cocaine. Regina Makwembere (40) was found in possession of amphetamine drugs in her luggage at the Hong Kong International Airport. Amphetamine is a psycho-stimulant drug that produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite. Her arrest follows several warnings issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Zimbabweans to be wary of international drug syndicates that reportedly target locals. Contacted for comment yesterday, Foreign Affairs deputy director legal and consular Mr Chris Mavodza confirmed the arrest of Makwembere. He said: "There is a lady who was arrested last month in Hong Kong for attempting to smuggle an undisclosed consignment of drugs through Hong Kong International Airport." Mr Mavodza said Makwembere, who claims to be in dressmaking business, travelled to South Africa by bus around February 15 and stayed in a hotel in Johannesburg before reportedly picking up the drugs from a South African woman only identified as Pearl. Pearl, he said, assisted Makwembere to smuggle the drugs through OR Tambo International Airport. "The contraband was meant for Thailand," he said. Mr Mavodza said Makwembere was expected to appear in court on May 24 this year. He said two other Zimbabwean women -- Faith Rusere and Joyce Tafadzwa Munhenga (whose ages were not given) who were arrested in November 2010 in Malaysia for drug trafficking were expected to stand trial this month. The two were nabbed for possessing 3,50kg and 3,2kg of cocaine respectively valued at US$900 000. "Their trial dates were set for March and April, 2012 respectively by the High Court. They both face death sentences if convicted," Mr Mavodza said. He warned locals against drug trafficking. "As Foreign Affairs we cannot emphasise enough the risk one carries in attempting to traffic drugs of any type. Our message to all nationals is please resist the temptation of drug trafficking for your own good. "The crime carries a heavy sentence, including a death penalty in most Far Eastern countries," Mr Mavodza said. Drug cartels are increasingly using Zimbabweans as mules to take hard drugs to Asian countries, where such crimes attract the death sentence or life imprisonment. Zimbabwean citizens are used to transport their consignments because locals had lesser chances of raising suspicion. At least 16 Zimbabwean women are stuck in Asian jails, 14 convicted of drug smuggling and two others awaiting the conclusion of their trial and face the death penalty if convicted. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the 16 women in Asian jails, 14 are jailed in China where they have been convicted of offences ranging from drug trafficking to illegal ivory trade. Eight are serving their sentences at the Beijing Women Prison, Beijing Second Prison and Tianjin Prison while six others are detained at the Guangzhou Prison. Two other Zimbabwean women are facing the death penalty in Malaysia. Some Asian countries including Malaysia could soon impose stringent travel requirements for Zimbabwe and other African countries following the increase of use of locals to smuggle drugs. According to an inside source plans were at an advanced stage to implement new visa regulations as a result of the rampant drug trafficking. Several countries such as Zimbabwe that until now enjoyed visa-free travel to some Asian countries will have visa requirements imposed upon them as a way of curbing drug trafficking.

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U.S. authorities say Jamaican drug kingpin Christopher “Dudus’’ Coke was so ruthless that he once ordered a rival killed with a chainsaw.

 

 However, another episode left a more lasting impression with the general public: He was arrested wearing a curly black wig. A mug shot of Coke wearing the wig as a disguise while on the run went viral on the Internet after his capture in Jamaica during a bloody siege of his ghetto stronghold in 2010 that left more than 70 dead. At the time, he waived extradition to the United States and vowed to fight drug trafficking, gun smuggling, racketeering and other charges.

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Iberia Drug Arrests


Sheriff Louis Ackal says on March 8 at approximately noon, Agents with the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office Narcotics Division arrested three suspects for getting illegal drugs through the mail.  Acting on an anonymous tip, agents conducted surveillance of a residence at Darcy Street in Iberia Parish.  Agents learned that a package containing prescription medication was delivered to the residence and obtained by the suspects.  According to Agents, the residence did not belong to the suspects.  The home was only being used as a drop off point for the package.  Raphael Depass of New Iberai,was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute schedule II (second subsequent offence), resisting by violence, possession of a controlled dangerous substance within 2000 feet of a school zone and monies derived from drug proceeds. Donald Hill Jr. of New Iberia, was charged with conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute schedule II narcotics, possession with intent to distribute schedule IV narcotics, second or subsequent offence, obstruction, possession of a controlled dangerous substance within 2000 feet of a school zone.  Jordy Mounton of  New Iberia was charged with conspiracy to commit possession with intent to distribute schedule II narcotics, possession of a controlled dangerous substance within 2000 feet of a school zone.

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Delaware Mother And Son Arrested After Trying To Mail Drugs

 

Delaware woman and her son were in police custody Saturday after authorities found a cache of drugs and guns in their home following the recovery of a drug-filled package the woman tried to mail. Residents of Bear, Del., told WTXF-TV they were stunned to learn that 63-year-old Marilyn Howell and her 32-year-old son Robert Howell had been arrested. Investigators went to the Howells' house after they tracked a package containing methadone, Ritalin, Soma, Xanax and hallucinogenic mushrooms to Marilyn Howell. Police said she had intended to send the package to her daughter in Colorado, but the parcel was returned because the postage had not been paid for properly at a self-serve kiosk. Detectives found the substances wrapped in dryer sheets, bubble wrap and a perfume-doused T-shirt. A search warrant was executed for Marilyn Howell's home on Feb. 24, and police found marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms, as well as drug paraphernalia including pipes, scales, grinders and packaging materials. Five firearms were recovered from inside the home, including a 9mm handgun and a modified AK-47 rifle. Marilyn Howell was taken into custody and charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a person prohibited, among other related charges. Robert Howell was charged with possessing a destructive weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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Two arrested in drug investigation

 

A short-term drug investigation conducted by local RCMP ended March 2 with the arrest of a 27-year-old man and 19-year-old female. The investigation led Wood Buffalo RCMP Drug Section, with help from the Crime Reduction Unit and general duty members, to Eric Schoolcraft, who was arrested at a traffic stop, and Tamara Neff, who was arrested outside a Fort McMurray residence. A search warrant executed in Thickwood shortly after the arrests led to the seizure of more than 680 g of marijuana, six oz. of MDMA, 15 g of ketamine, more than five g of cocaine and a small amount of magic mushrooms. In addition to the drugs found, RCMP also reported seizing approximately $60,000, believed to be proceeds of crime. Both Neff and Schoolcraft have been charged with possession of proceeds of crime over $5,000, four counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession. In addition, Schoolcraft is charged with one count of breaching recognizance. In the release, it says police estimate more than 3,000 individual hits of marijuana, 1,800 individual hits of MDMA, 150 individual hits of ketamine and 50 hits of cocaine have been taken off the streets of Fort McMurray.

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Tuesday, March 6

Drug courier was shocked to find he was carrying £500,000 of cocaine


A drug courier was shocked to find he was carrying a consignment of high-purity cocaine which could have sold for almost £500,000. On Tuesday, the High Court in Edinburgh heard Cletus Okpala agreed to make the delivery because he was in debt. Solicitor advocate Paul Burns, defending, added: "I think it is fair to say he did not know the nature of the drug, nor had he any concept of its value." Nigerian Okpala, 26, was jailed for 52 months after admitting being concerned in the supply of cocaine last November 4. He also faces automatic deportation at the end of his prison sentence. Judge Lord Bannatyne told him: "Couriers are essential links in the drug supply chain." Advocate depute Richard Goddard, prosecuting, told how the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency mounted an operation against "high level" members of an organised crime group. The detectives were tipped off that cocaine was to be transported from Edinburgh to Glasgow and tracked Okpala's Nissan Primera along the M8 before stopping the car neat Shotts junction. Okpala had bags of cocaine pellets stuffed into his jacket and socks. Mr Goddard said the total weight was one and a half kilos. But because the cocaine was of such high purity it could easily be "cut" or bulked out to provide twelve kilos for sale on the streets. Experts put the street price at £482,000. Mr Burns said Okpala didn't drink alcohol, had never been in trouble before and was normally "hostile" towards drugs. But a search of his home in Wardieburn Place West, Edinburgh, uncovered mobile phones and sets of notations. Okpala was also carrying two £100 notes when he was stopped. Proceedings have begun to strip Okpala - married to a Latvian hotel worker - of any profits he may have made from crime.

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Ex-drug prosecutor who handled Las Vegas celebrity cases gets 9 months in jail in crack case

 

A former top Las Vegas drug prosecutor who handled the high-profile Paris Hilton and Bruno Mars cocaine possession plea deals was sentenced Monday to nine months in county jail in a felony crack possession case. Former Deputy District Attorney David Schubert apologized to the court for what he called “a tragedy,” and then stood silently as a state court judge berated him as “a disgrace to his oath as a prosecutor and a lawyer.” 0 Comments Weigh InCorrections? Personal Post (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department/Associated Press) - This undated police booking photo released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department showes former Deputy District Attorney David Schubert. Schubert a former top drug prosecutor who handled the Paris Hilton and Bruno Mars cocaine possession plea deals in Las Vegas has been sentenced to nine months in jail in his own felony cocaine possession case. Clark County District Judge Carolyn Ellsworth also said that the terms of a plea deal that could have gotten Schubert probation and a chance to clear his record were “offensive.” “I’m not going to give you the special treatment,” the judge said. Police arrested Schubert in March 2011 after they watched another man get out of Schubert’s car, go into an apartment complex and return. Officers found Schubert with a $40 rock of crack cocaine and confiscated an unregistered 9 mm handgun from his car. Schubert once handled Clark County’s highest-profile drug prosecutions as the district attorney office’s liaison to a federal drug task force. Hilton, 30, was arrested after police said 0.8 grams of cocaine fell out of her handbag following a Las Vegas Strip traffic stop in August 2010. The celebrity socialite received a year of probation on misdemeanor cocaine possession and obstruction charges. She successfully completed probation last fall. Mars, 26, was cleared in January of a felony cocaine possession charge after staying out of trouble for a year and meeting other conditions of a plea deal. The Grammy-winning pop star, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, acknowledged in court in February 2011 that he had 2.6 grams of cocaine after a performance at a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino nightclub. Schubert resigned from the prosecutor’s office after his arrest and underwent two months of inpatient substance abuse counseling. The 48-year-old has been undergoing outpatient alcohol and drug counseling since May, and has been practicing criminal defense law in some of the same courtrooms where he was a prosecutor for 10 years. Schubert pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance not for sale. The conviction could threaten his law career, depending on a review by the State Bar of Nevada and action by the state Supreme Court, bar official Phil Pattee said. The judge ordered Schubert to surrender March 12 to begin his jail sentence. Defense attorney William Terry said he may appeal the sentence or ask the judge to take the rare step of setting it aside.

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Saturday, March 3

INDONESIAN authorities claim an Australian man arrested this week allegedly carrying 1.1kg of hashish inside his body was couriering for an international drug network.

 

INDONESIAN authorities claim an Australian man arrested this week allegedly carrying 1.1kg of hashish inside his body was couriering for an international drug network. Because the amount exceeds 1kg, Edward Norman Myatt, 54, could face the death penalty if convicted of importing the drug, said I Made Wijaya, chief of Customs at Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport. "We believe he is a courier," Mr Wijaya yesterday told a press conference at which the Ballarat-born suspect was exhibited along with the drugs. "He is covering up information on the network in Indonesia." Speaking later in Denpasar, Gories Mere, chief of the national counter-narcotics agency BNN, said international drug syndicates were supplying illegal drugs into Bali. The trade had been in methamphetamines, Mr Gories said, but now the type of drugs being trafficked was changing. Mr Myatt was taken into custody at the airport on Monday afternoon after arriving from New Delhi via Bangkok. Mr Myatt was under surveillance by 40 officers when the Thai Airways flight landed because his movements had already attracted attention, Mr Wijaya said. Customs officers searched his baggage and clothing at the airport without finding any evidence of drugs, but remained suspicious. Mr Myatt was taken from the airport for a CT scan at a Kuta medical centre, but momentarily escaped the car when stopped in traffic and dived into a swamp near the roadway, Mr Wijaya said. The suspect was quickly caught and the scan later showed "suspicious objects" in his stomach. Mr Wijaya said 71 capsules containing hashish and one with crystal methamphetamines were recovered from Myatt's body over the following four days. The total weight, including packaging, was 1.11kg. The estimated street value of the hashish was Rp661.8 million (about $67,750). Under Section 113 of the Narcotics Law, Mr Wijaya said, "the suspect faces maximum penalty of death" or a prison term between five and 20 years. Mr Myatt, who was carrying Australian and British passports, had an April 4 return ticket to New Delhi. He had visited Bali five times previously. A Customs source said later that Mr Myatt was thought to have been working in Britain recently, but he had changed details of his story several times during questioning. Eleven of the 12 Australians now imprisoned at Bali's Kerobokan jail are serving lengthy terms for drug trafficking. They include Gold Coast woman Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine heroin smuggling convicts. Two of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, have been sentenced to death and their last resort is an appeal for presidential clemency to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Sydney man Michael Sacatides was arrested at Ngurah Rai on October 1, 2010, with 1.7kg of methamphetamines concealed in his luggage. Sacatides was last year sentenced to 18 years' jail.

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