MedMan
01-18-2007, 01:15 PM
Drug dog sniffs out disguised drugs
Lance Martin Herald Senior Staff Writer
HALIFAX - A total of 40 pounds of marijuana destined for southern Halifax County was seized at a UPS depot in Rocky Mount last week.
Another 20-pound shipment sent along with the original did not arrive as scheduled Tuesday, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.
The marijuana, a potent strain of hydroponic cannabis, was packaged in a way that no drug dog could capture the scent, Lt. Jay Burch said Tuesday. Or so the smugglers thought.
The packages, bound in red duct tape and resembling pillows, were inner wrapped with layers of plastic wrap and an oily substance like axle grease. The marijuana was shrink-wrapped and heat sealed.
The layers, however, were no match for the nose of Gretchen, a Belgian Malinois handled by State Bureau of Investigation Agent Jeff Morales, Burch said.
The packages were sent from Arizona and were part of a total of 250 pounds of boxes headed for Raleigh, Durham and Halifax County, Burch said. The return address was bogus. The marijuana was not claimed in Raleigh and Durham, he said.
Investigators have a suspect, although they declined to give the person's name because of an ongoing investigation that has lasted a year, Burch said.
The suspect, he said, dominates the marijuana trade in the southern end of Halifax County and has a strong business in Edgecombe and Nash counties and a lock on the marijuana trade in northern Rocky Mount. “Your average dealer is not going to expect a 60-pound shipment of marijuana.”
Had the third package been intercepted, the total value of the marijuana seized would have been more than a half million dollars. The two packages alone are worth approximately between $220,000 and $330,000, since hydroponically-grown pot is valued around $5,500 to $6,500 per pound.
Once the investigation is complete, the sheriff's office expects to seek federal arrest warrants against the suspect. Burch said just half of one pillow constitutes a trafficking charge.
Burch said it is unknown whether the marijuana was grown in Mexico or Arizona since hydroponic pot is grown indoors.
Meanwhile, Burch said authorities are investigating what happened to the third shipment. The tip-off came when a UPS employee in Arizona became suspicious. “The employee thought things didn't look right and notified their employer.”
The marijuana was tracked by law enforcement through each of the depots it stopped at, but was allowed to continue to its destination in hopes local law enforcement could make arrests.
http://www.rrdailyherald.com/articles/2007/01/18/front/front.txt
Lance Martin Herald Senior Staff Writer
HALIFAX - A total of 40 pounds of marijuana destined for southern Halifax County was seized at a UPS depot in Rocky Mount last week.
Another 20-pound shipment sent along with the original did not arrive as scheduled Tuesday, according to the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.
The marijuana, a potent strain of hydroponic cannabis, was packaged in a way that no drug dog could capture the scent, Lt. Jay Burch said Tuesday. Or so the smugglers thought.
The packages, bound in red duct tape and resembling pillows, were inner wrapped with layers of plastic wrap and an oily substance like axle grease. The marijuana was shrink-wrapped and heat sealed.
The layers, however, were no match for the nose of Gretchen, a Belgian Malinois handled by State Bureau of Investigation Agent Jeff Morales, Burch said.
The packages were sent from Arizona and were part of a total of 250 pounds of boxes headed for Raleigh, Durham and Halifax County, Burch said. The return address was bogus. The marijuana was not claimed in Raleigh and Durham, he said.
Investigators have a suspect, although they declined to give the person's name because of an ongoing investigation that has lasted a year, Burch said.
The suspect, he said, dominates the marijuana trade in the southern end of Halifax County and has a strong business in Edgecombe and Nash counties and a lock on the marijuana trade in northern Rocky Mount. “Your average dealer is not going to expect a 60-pound shipment of marijuana.”
Had the third package been intercepted, the total value of the marijuana seized would have been more than a half million dollars. The two packages alone are worth approximately between $220,000 and $330,000, since hydroponically-grown pot is valued around $5,500 to $6,500 per pound.
Once the investigation is complete, the sheriff's office expects to seek federal arrest warrants against the suspect. Burch said just half of one pillow constitutes a trafficking charge.
Burch said it is unknown whether the marijuana was grown in Mexico or Arizona since hydroponic pot is grown indoors.
Meanwhile, Burch said authorities are investigating what happened to the third shipment. The tip-off came when a UPS employee in Arizona became suspicious. “The employee thought things didn't look right and notified their employer.”
The marijuana was tracked by law enforcement through each of the depots it stopped at, but was allowed to continue to its destination in hopes local law enforcement could make arrests.
http://www.rrdailyherald.com/articles/2007/01/18/front/front.txt