Jaunes Dihon Ayers

"In my 15 years in narcotics here, I've only seen heroin once," he said. "Heroin is a very dangerous drug, mainly because it's such an addictive drug."
Salomonsky said agents arrested Jaunes Dihon Ayers, 29, of Madison after a months-long investigation.
Agents spotted the signature blue plastic bags - typical packaging for a single dose of heroin, about 0.2 grams - several months ago and began tracking the drug's progress.
Agents from the county and the Madison Police Department had been watching Ayers' apartment at 365 Shelton Road and finally obtained a search warrant, Salomonsky said.
Officers stopped Ayers about 3 p.m. Wednesday and found 14 grams of heroin in his car. When they searched his home, they found 2.4 pounds of heroin with a street value of about $300,000.
Ayers has been arrested multiple times on drug charges and the sheriff's office has been dealing with him since he was about 15 years old, Salomonsky said.
He has been arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana at least six times and for escaping from police custody twice, according to court records.
Because of the large amount of heroin, Ayers faces life without parole if he's convicted, Salomonsky said.
The investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected.
Until now, heroin has been fairly scarce in Madison County. Salomonsky said he wants to keep it that way.
"Our focus is to go to the main source, and I've been instructed to go where I need to go," he said. "The streets are a little safer today, but as soon as we get where we're going, it'll be a lot safer tomorrow."

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Michael Joseph Melia,Simon Anthony Melia

father and son were jailed for 10 and 12 years respectively for smuggling two kilos of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £80,000 into the UK and for possession with intent to supply.
The Court heard that Michael Melia was stopped by HMRC officers on the 10th March 2007 at the UK Control Zone in Coquelles, France. Melia was alone at the wheel of a Jeep Cherokee and wanted officers to believe he had been simply been buying beer. On being told that he would be subject to a body search Melia raised his jumper to reveal two packages taped to his torso. The packages contained two kilos of cocaine.
Melia was arrested and he gave an address of Ashford, Kent.
Officers searching the premises found two bags of white powder under the kitchen sink which tested positive for amphetamine sulphate. Simon Melia arrived at the house during the search and informed officers that there was a further small quantity of cocaine hidden in a safe under the bed. Approximately 101 grammes of amphetamine sulphate and 2.4 grammes of cocaine were recovered from the house.
Malcolm Bragg, Assistant Chief Investigation Officer for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said:
"HM Revenue & Customs is at the forefront of the fight to stop drugs entering the UK. Our commitment is to do everything we can to stop this deadly trade. The sentence handed down by the court today will act as a deterrent to those involved in drug trafficking and clearly shows that crime doesn't pay. "
On sentencing Michael Melia HH Honour Judge Nash said:" "It was a substantial quantity and you were caught red handed. There was no alternative to a guilty plea."
1. Michael Joseph Melia, 59, unemployed of Ashford, was jailed for 10 years for importing cocaine, four years for possession of cocaine with intent to supply and two years for possession with intent to supply Amphetamine, all sentences to run concurrently.
2. Simon Anthony Melia, 32, painter and decorator, also of Ashford, was jailed for 12 years for importing cocaine, four years for possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and two years for possession of Amphetamine with intent to supply, all sentences to run concurrently.

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Trevor Scott James

Trevor Scott James of Chico, made a move indicating he was rolling down the window to talk to the officer, but instead threw the car into gear and sped off.
The driver reportedly pulled over a block down the road to let an unidentified female passenger out of the car and again took off, running several stop signs in Hamilton City at speeds up to 50 mph before sliding through the intersection of Sacramento Avenue and heading east on Highway 32.
The chase continued over the Gianella Bridge into Butte County where James reportedly weaved back and forth into the oncoming lane of traffic, reaching speeds up to 100 mph. Chico police, Butte County sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol were notified as the chase continued into Chico.
From Highway 32, James turned east onto East Avenue, allegedly running red lights at speeds up to 70 mph and barely avoiding crashing into several cars turning
east from The Esplanade. The driver weaved through traffic and regained speed, running another red light to turn northbound onto El Paso Way.
When the driver ran a four-way stop sign turning onto East Lassen Avenue, officers were ordered to keep the vehicle in sight, but to stop the pursuit for public safety.
Officers followed the car northbound on Burnap Avenue where the driver jumped from his vehicle and fled on foot. He was taken into custody as he tried to hide behind a truck in an apartment complex on the 2900 block.
"You have to weigh the factor of the innocent lives on the street," said Glenn County Sgt. Todd James, of his decision to call off the high-speed pursuit. "Thank God this one ended safe and we got a wanted felon off the street."
The driver allegedly admitted that he had injected methamphetamine Friday, and that he fled because he knew he was a wanted parolee with a no-bail hold. He was also wanted on a $50,000 warrant issued Jan. 23 by Chico police for felony evading a peace officer.
According to police records, he was sentenced to two years in jail for a burglary conviction in 2004. Officers reportedly found a pair of 14-inch bolt cutters and other burglary items in his car when it was searched following his arrest Friday.
After having blood drawn at Glenn Medical Center in Willows for evidence, James was taken to the Glenn County Jail in Willows and booked on a variety of charges, including felony evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for the safety of others, possession of metal knuckles, driving under the influence of methamphetamine, driving while suspended and under the influence of alcohol, possession of a switchblade/gravity knife, possession of hypodermic syringes and possession of under an ounce of marijuana.
He refused to identify the female passenger he released from his car in Hamilton City.

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Sharon Kay Carter,

Sharon Kay Carter, 43, also known as Sharon Straw, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. She will be sentenced May 2 by Judge Benjamin Settle.
When her name was Sharon Straw, The Daily News did a series of stories in 1987 through 1995 about her family's ordeal. Her daughter, who was born in 1987 with a serious liver disorder, had a successful liver transplant in 1995.
Carter was arrested in Longview Aug. 2, Sept. 23 and Oct. 23, each time on suspicion of dealing large quantities of methamphetamine. After the first and second arrests, she posted $50,000 and $70,000 bail respectively.
After arresting Carter for the third time, local authorities asked federal authorities to look at her case. It met criteria for federal drug trafficking charges, said assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Friedman, who prosecuted the case.
"The quantities were significant," he said. "She would have in her possession half-pound quantities. More significantly, she appeared to be not responding to the state machinery. She would be arrested on a search warrant ... go in jail, get out on bond and immediately return to the same type of activity. Clearly she wasn't being impacted at all by the state court system, whereas typically one would be. She was therefore charged federally."
She was indicted by a federal grand jury Dec. 19.
Federal authorities arrested her at the Cowlitz County Jail while she was trying to get her friends to post $200,000 bail, Friedman said. Once she was in federal custody, she was held without bail, he said.
"It's sort of like, 'Enough's enough.' "
Her first arrest was the result of a three-month investigation by the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Narcotics Task Force into drug trafficking. Agents served a search warrant at Carter's house and seized methamphetamine packaged for sale, scales, $4,750 cash proceeds and a loaded 9 mm Makarov semiautomatic pistol.
On Sept. 14, while out on bond awaiting trial, Carter met with a law enforcement operative at the Towne House Motel in Longview and, during a recorded transaction, sold the operative a quarter-ounce of methamphetamine for $300, according to court documents.
On Sept. 23, a uniformed Longview Police patrol officer stopped Carter for a traffic infraction. A search of her purse and belongings revealed methamphetamine and marijuana packaged for sale, scales and $3,514 cash drug proceeds, and she was arrested.
On Oct. 23, the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at Carter's residence at 199 Lazy Road, based on further evidence that she continued to sell drugs. In her purse, officers found methamphetamine and marijuana packaged for sale, a scale, packaging materials and $3,631 drug proceeds. Detectives seized about 173 grams of methamphetamine.
Carter's offense is punishable by imprisonment of five to 40 years, a fine of up to $2 million, and a mandatory period of supervised release of at least four years.

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Richard Freeman

Police were called to Richard Freeman's home on June 9 last year after receiving an allegation he was responsible for rape.
Northampton Crown Court heard the allegation was later dropped, but a search of the 24-year-old's home uncovered a large stash of crack and heroin hidden in his wardrobe.
Matthew Brookes-Baker, prosecuting, said Freeman admitted the offence, but on the basis he was warehousing the drugs for amurder suspect, who was not named.
Police who searched Freeman's home, in Holly Road, Abington, found almost £2,000 of heroin and £6,725 of crack.
Freeman, who pleaded guilty to charges of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Judge Richard Bray said: "Nobody seems to be a drug dealer any more, they are just holding the drugs for other people – certainly those who appear in this court.
"This was a substantial amount of crack cocaine and heroin, both of high concentrations."
The court heard Freeman, formerly of Farnbrook Court, Thorplands, who has 125 previous convictions, had been using drugs since he was 13 but was now clean.
Richard Holloway, defending, said: "His part in this was his premises being used as a safe house.
"No money was found on him as he was living hand-to-mouth at the time with no lavish lifestyle."

The full article contains 259 words and appears in Northampton Chron & Echo newspaper.

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British citizen smuggled more than 3,000 steroid tablets on a flight from Thailand to Sydney

British citizen has been caught trying to smuggle more than 3,000 steroid tablets on a flight from Thailand to Sydney, the Australian media reported on Sunday.
The AAP agency, quoting the country's Customs Service, said the 24-year-old man was stopped by customs officers after arriving at Sydney Airport on Saturday.
During a search of his baggage, officers allegedly located 3,000 anabolic tablets, 300 Clenbutrol tables, 120 testosterone capsules and two vials of Stanozolol.
The importation of performance and image-enhancing drugs into Australia without appropriate permits is prohibited.
Customs investigators interviewed the man and will issue him a summons to face court under the Customs Act 1901.
The maximum penalty for the offences is a fine of $110,000 (about 3.2 million baht) and/or five years in jail, the reports said.British citizen has been caught trying to smuggle more than 3,000 steroid tablets on a flight from Thailand to Sydney, the Australian Customs Service says.
The importation of performance and image-enhancing drugs into Australia without appropriate permits is prohibited.
Customs investigators interviewed the man and will issue him a summons to face court under the Customs Act 1901.
The maximum penalty for the offences is a fine of $110,000 and/or five years in jail.

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Robert Daniel Flook

Robert Daniel Flook, 46, was sentenced at London's Blackfriars Crown Court for conspiracy to supply 330lb (150kg) of Class A drugs (cocaine) and conspiracy to supply eight tonnes of Class C drugs (cannabis). police believe imported drugs with a street value of more than £350 million has been jailed for 26 years.
The Metropolitan Police said the cannabis seizure is the largest the force has ever made and the cocaine haul is the second largest ever made in South Africa.
Flook used "front companies" to transport drugs hidden in garden furniture and mirrors, police said. He was arrested following a joint investigation between the Met's Special Projects team and South African Organised Crime law enforcement agencies.
The operation focused on the importation of cocaine and cannabis by British nationals into the UK from South Africa. It culminated in the seizure of eight tonnes of cannabis in September 2006, with a street value of £28 million. The consignment was seized at Felixstowe port and concealed in a shipment of South African garden furniture.
The second seizure was made in South Africa the following month and consisted of 330lb (150kg) of cocaine with a street value of £10.5 million. That consignment had been hidden in mirrors destined for the UK.
Flook, of Eltham Park Gardens, Eltham, south east London, was found guilty of the charges in August.
Police believe that the network started importing drugs in 2001, with similarly sized consignments to those seized in September/October 2006 being imported undetected until the seizures. Officers described Flook as one of the key organisers.
During Flook's trial it was said the network imported some 11 containers which held cannabis between 2001 and 2006, which based on the quantity seized in September 2006 was valued at £308 million street value. In addition evidence showed the network imported four containers of cocaine with an estimated value of £42 million street value between 2004 and 2006, police said.
This brings the total estimated street value of the drugs concerned with Flook's operation to £350 million.

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The Blue Atlantic recovered 2.4 tonnes of cocaine hidden in barrels

Officials recovered 2.4 tonnes of cocaine hidden in barrels after intercepting a ship off the Liberian coast in the country's largest ever drug seizure, maritime authorities said Friday.
The crew of a French naval vessel saw people on board the ship, the Blue Atlantic, throwing barrels overboard when they went to intercept it late Thursday, said Monrovia Port Security Chief Ashford Pearl. The ship was towed to port and authorities eventually recovered 92 barrels from the ship and the sea containing a total of 2.4 tonnes of cocaine, said Pearl. "It's huge. If this had hit the Liberian market, it would have destroyed the entire country," Pearl said. With cocaine prices in Europe now double those in the United States, drug smugglers in South America are increasingly ferrying cocaine to West Africa, from where it is parceled out to hundreds of individual traffickers who carry it north, especially via Spain. Pearl said the nine members of the crew of the Blue Atlantic were Ghanaian. They have been turned over to Liberian police. "It wasn't in Liberian waters, but they towed it to Liberia because the ship was flying the flag of Liberia," said Pearl. Authorities in Liberia are not sure what to do with the drugs seized. Pearl said officials were debating burning or dumping the drugs in the water "but we are leaning closer to burning because it will have some environmental effects if we put it into the water".

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Sian Baber

Sian Baber, of St Judes, concealed the drug in her body after being pressurised by her drug addict boyfriend who was serving time for theft, a court has heard.
Now 21-year-old Baber is behind bars herself after being sentenced to four years for attempting to smuggle heroin and cannabis into the Princetown jail.
Baber's parents, who are both serving magistrates, issued a statement through a family member from their semi-detached home in Helston last night.
It said: "She regrets what she has done and she will learn from her mistakes."
Recorder Leslie Blohm, sitting at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday, told Baber: "Drugs in prison do a great deal of damage to people and discipline.
"They undermine and corrupt, and your drugs would have gone a long way."
The court heard that Baber had enjoyed a privileged upbringing, but her downfall came when she moved to Plymouth. She was living at Beaumont Road, St Judes, at the time of the offence last year.
Malcolm Clark, defending, said she had had physically abusive and controlling partners, and things went downhill when she met drug addict David Dugdale and started taking drugs herself.
He was eventually jailed for stealing to feed his habit, but pressurised her to smuggle heroin and cannabis into Dartmoor for him.
She concealed two grammes of heroin, 12 grammes of cannabis resin and two grammes of herbal cannabis in her body, but it was found in a search at the prison.
Baber denied one charge of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and two charges of possessing a Class C drug with intent to supply.
She was tried on January 9 at Plymouth Crown Court, her defence being that she was not a drug dealer, was not profiting from selling drugs and had acted under duress and threats from her boyfriend.
Mr Clark told the court that Baber had now matured, was living back home with her parents and off illicit drugs.
She wanted to go to college and back into care work, he said.
But Mr Blohm told Baber the offences were serious and that bringing drugs into prison undermined inmates who were trying to give them up.
He said David Dugdale had been beaten up in jail, presumably because Baber had failed in her mission, adding: "This illustrates the corrosive effects of drug use in prison.
"You acted out of loyalty to your boyfriend and with a degree of naivety, but you didn't give much thought to the consequences.
"Your parents are devastated by the hell into which you have fallen, and one would have a heart of stone not to sympathise with them, but you have brought this on yourself."
Baber's parents, who live in Helston, West Cornwall, were not in court to see their daughter jailed for a total of four years.
Dugdale, who is currently serving time at a different prison, initially agreed to speak in support of Baber in court, but changed his mind.

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Betty Ann Beaman

Betty Ann Beaman, 44, formerly from the Truro area, was sentenced this week to two years in prison and ordered to repay $301,774.44 to the Colchester East Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
She admitted to stealing that amount from the association over three years, between April of 2003 and July 2006 while working as a bookkeeper for the association.
Court heard that Beaman has lived a life of great difficulty that once involved an abusive marriage, other family problems and that she became addicted to prescription pain killers following a motorcycle accident.
“This is a person who has been addicted to pain medication for many years,” said Legal Aid defence attorney, Dave Mahoney. “As a consequence of these injuries she has had extensive medical therapy.”
In accepting a joint sentencing recommendation, however, the judge agreed with Crown Prosecutor Rick Hartlen’s assessment that greed was the primary motivation behind Beaman’s abuse of a charitable organization that serves “some of the most vulunerable in our community...
“And to take advantage of that organization is not right,” Judge John MacDougall said. “It is unfortunate Ms. Beaman has had a difficult life but the reality is that type of experience does not give individuals the right to take from others.”
After she was caught, Beaman initially accused the organization’s executive director, Joyce MacDonald, of coercing her into stealing the money and of being a partner in the crime. She later recanted that accusation against McDonald, who volunteered to take – and passed – a polygraph test.
“All those investigations cleared Ms. McDonald definitively,” Hartlen said.
Beaman also initially tried to say she had a gambling addiction because someone had suggested that excuse might buy her some pity from the court.
MacDougall called the joint recommendation a “reasonable one” and said the jail time will “pose a particular hardship” for Beaman.
“For every action we take, there has to be accountability,” he said. “There has to be deterrence and in my opinion, this ought to do it.”
Beaman wrote cheques to herself in amounts ranging from a couple of hundred dollars to $2,000, which she processed through three separate bank accounts.
She had been hired to work 10 hours per week at a rate of approximately $13 per hour. Based on the total amount stolen, however, she paid herself at a rate that worked out to $357.12 for every day worked.
The loss of the money put the organization in a dire financial situation and caused it to cash in investment certificates to make ends meet. The CMHA had to postpone plans to purchase its own building and now also spends more money on its accounting process to prevent against future fraud.

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John Tacinelli,: Jessica Tacinelli Tacinelli Agency

John Tacinelli, who lives in Plainville and runs the Tacinelli Agency on Main Street, was arrested on Jan. 17 after a lengthy investigation by the police department's narcotics team. He is free on bail and is due in court Monday.
Police spokesman Sgt. Lowell DePalma said Tacinelli was arrested as he drove down Queen Street on Jan. 17. Officers who arrested him found three bags of marijuana in the car, DePalma said.
The same day Tacinelli was arrested, police also searched his agency on Main Street and his home at 43 South Washington St. in Plainville. DePalma said police found drugs at the home and the office.
Police have charged Tacinelli with three counts of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and two counts of sale of marijuana. DePalma said more charges are expected in the case.
The Tacinelli Agency has been in town for many years.
Police in Plainville received information about possible drug activity by Tacinelli on their own some time ago and are working on a separate investigation, said Plainville police Lt. Brian Mullins. He said that investigation may also result in more charges against Tacinelli.
When police searched Tacinelli's home they also arrested his daughter, 20-year-old Jessica Tacinelli, Mullins said. She is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of narcotics.

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Troy Olaf Kierce

Troy Olaf Kierce, 42, was arrested Thursday evening after police say he was observed conducting drug deals at various locations around Kelowna, including local community recreation areas and parks.
"Kierce was found in possession of approximately 1/2 ounce of heroin and a quantity of cash," says Corporal Carey Chernoff.
"A search warrant was later executed at his home in the 500 block of Arborview Drive in the Upper Mission area, where police seized another six ounces of heroin, several thousand dollars cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia."
Chernoff says the amount of drugs seized had the potential to provide over 1600 doses of the drug.
"The base operation for the activities of Mr. Kierce was his residence in an upscale neighbourhood. In light of this, Kelowna RCMP are reminding the general public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity they might observe, regardless of the geographic location within the city."

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Nguyen Thanh Mai,Van Toan, Nguyen Thuy Ngoc Bang. Recieved Death sentence

Ho Chi Minh City Court sentenced three members of a drug trafficking ring to death and two others to life imprisonment after a three day trial. Receiving the death penalty were Nguyen Thanh Mai, a 40 year old resident of HCM City's District 1; Van Toan, 35, of Binh Thanh District; and Nguyen Thuy Ngoc Bang, 25, of Go Vap District. Two were sentenced to life in prison and sentences of 13 to 20 years were handed down to six others.
According to the court's verdict, between March 2002 and June 2003, the ring members trafficked 5.28 kg of heroin and gave it to a Vietnamese Australian named Kai to sell abroad.

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Tawa Ibrahim, Ghulam Nawaz beheaded by the sword

a Nigerian woman and a Pakistani man were executed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca for drug trafficking, the Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry said. Ghulam Nawaz was beheaded by the sword after being found guilty of drug smuggling according to a ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
In a separate statement, the ministry said Tawa Ibrahim, a Nigerian woman, was beheaded for cocaine traffickingA Nigerian woman and a Pakistani man were executed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca today for drug trafficking, the Saudi interior ministry said. Ghulam Nawaz was beheaded by the sword after being found guilty of drug smuggling in the ultra-conservative kingdom, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency. In a separate statement, the ministry said Tawa Ibrahim, the Nigerian, was beheaded for cocaine trafficking. Their executions bring to 18 the number announced by Saudi authorities since the start of the year, after a record 153 people were put to death in 2007. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking can all carry the death penalty in the oil-rich Gulf Arab country

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David Sauceda

David Sauceda, the Mexican Mafia gang member and murder suspect who escaped from the Bexar County Jail on Oct. 28, was apprehended Saturday by Mexican law enforcement officials at the Mexico home where he was living, authorities announced this morning.
Sauceda, 28, was captured outside a house in Tangancicuaro, a remote city of about 30,000 people in central Mexico, where he was living with his girlfriend and two children, according to the U.S. Marshal's Service.
Sauceda tried to run but was quickly taken in to custody by Mexican immigration officials and state police, who have been working with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Eschewing extradition procedures, Mexican authorities instead immediately deported Sauceda on immigration violations. He was flown to San Antonio to once again face murder, armed robbery and home invasion charges. An additional charge of escape stems from his getaway to Mexico.
"There wasn't an extradition issue at all," said U.S. Marshal LaFayette Collins. "The Mexicans wanted to get rid of him."







Sauceda walked out the front door of the Bexar County Jail in part by duping detention officers into handing him the card of his cellmate, whose personal information he'd memorized.

Sauceda and his brother, Jesse Sauceda, are accused in the November 2006 murder of Juan Guevara, whom they allegedly shot in the head and then ran over in a car. A second man was shot twice and stabbed multiple times, but survived.

Six days later, Sauceda allegedly broke into an elderly woman's home and duct-taped her, stealing cash, jewelry and an ATM card. After fleeing from a police standoff in Corpus Christi the next day, Sauceda was arrested walking down a roadside with a handgun.

In December, Sauceda was named one of the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 most-wanted fugitives.

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Craig Petties

Craig Petties alleged drug operation which is estimated to have run from 1995 up until this year. The superseding indictment follows a 40-page one laid against him originally in 2002 before he went on the run.
Petties -- in addition to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine from the original indictment -- now faces several other charges including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, money laundering and racketeering.
Authorities have learned, since 2002, that Petties' organization allegedly attempted to kill people who interfered with their drug trafficking business.
As far as money laundering charges, the indictment says that Petties used drug money to pay for several expensive cars, a home in Las Vegas as well as one in Memphis.
During raids and arrest, authorities have confiscated several firearms, lots of money and vehicles.
"So far we've had seizures of almost $3 million, little over 2.9 million and something like 40 vehicles and over $600,000 in cash," said U.S. Attorney David Kustoff.
He wanted arrested on January 11 in Mexico, along with a female companion -- believed to have been his girlfriend -- and three other individuals. Petties was apparently running multi-million dollar drug ring while evading arrest in Mexico.
Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin told local FoxNews affiliate that they've begun combing through homicide cases to find connections to Petties or members of his gang. Six others who listed as associates all face the same or similar charges.
Petties and his co-defendants are all in federal custody. If convicted of all charges, he and his associates could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Prosecutors haven't yet to determine what punishments they will seek.

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Wilber Varela aka Soap

The body of Wilber Varela, known as "Jabon" or "Soap," was found on Wednesday in a hotel room in Merida state in neighboring Venezuela, said a Colombian police source who asked not to be identified.The boss of Colombia's biggest remaining cocaine cartel was killed by gunfire in Venezuela in an apparent settling of accounts between drug gangs, Colombian security forces said on Friday.




"We have intelligence information that the person found dead in Venezuela is Jabon," the source said.

Varela, a former police sergeant wanted for extradition by the U.S. government for helping to smuggle tonnes of cocaine to the United States, was one of the last Colombian drug kingpins at large after last year's arrest of Diego "Don Diego" Montoya.

The two had battled for control of the Norte del Valle cartel, a violent rivalry that left hundreds of people dead.

The U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward leading to the arrest of Varela, who got his nickname from a brand of soap with the same name.

The Norte del Valle gang, based near the western city of Cali, is the only Colombian cartel that still controls all areas of the business from cultivation of coca plants to production of cocaine and its exportation. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

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Frank Contreras aka TANK

Frank Contreras, 19, a former Miami Beach High student, was charged with first-degree felony murder Thursday. Detectives had arrested Charles J. Greenfield, 33, on the same charge late Wednesday.
Investigators say the pair provided heroin to Mark S. Harris, 21, who was found dead of an overdose on Jan. 24 in his truck in a municipal parking lot off 41st Street and Prairie Avenue.
Greenfield told Miami Beach Detective Wayne Holbrook that Harris was his pot-and-cocaine buddy.
According to an arrest report, Harris went to Greenfield's mid-Beach apartment Jan. 23 and paid Greenfield $60.
Greenfield called Contreras, who dropped by and gave them baggies of heroin and cocaine. Brokering the heroin deal netted Greenfield $10, police said.
Harris walked out, injected himself in the truck and died, police said.
By law, someone who commits certain felonies -- in this case, selling drugs -- can be charged with felony murder if someone dies in the process.
In November, Miami Beach police arrested Christopher Rodriguez, 22, a security guard, after he allegedly sold Ecstasy pills to a 15-year-old on her way to party in South Beach. The teen was hospitalized and died. Rodriguez, who told police he had just started selling drugs, is awaiting trial on charges of first-degree felony murder and selling a controlled substance.
In February 2007, Miami-Dade police charged Melanie Mazzotti, 30, with first-degree murder in the death of jailed boyfriend Edward Hawkins, 26. Police alleged she smuggled drugs in a package that he then swallowed to conceal from corrections officers.
The package later burst in his stomach and killed him.

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pornographic images Edison Chan, Gillian Chung, Cecilia Cheung, and Bobo Chan.

According to news sources, a 29 year old unemployed man was arrested on Wednesday after police tracked down his IP address for his involvement in the recent spread of pornographic images on the Internet involving Hong Kong pop singers Edison Chan, Gillian Chung, Cecilia Cheung, and Bobo Chan. The images were subjects of hot debate over its authenticity. Police are only revealing that they have discovered evidence at the suspect’s home and that he may not be the main culprit who first released these images.
The recent scandal obviously caused deep distress for the involved celebrities - Edison was said to have flew out of HK to cool his ire. Police are urging that netizens will discontinue the distribution of these images across the web.

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Alex Del Nogal

Alex Del Nogal was arrested in Trapani, Sicily, south Italy, for his alleged involvement in drug traffic among Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela and Europe, and he will be prosecuted next week in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, local media reported, as quoted by Efe.
Del Nogal was arrested last September when he tried to enter Italy, as the police issued a search and arrest order for him under charges of alleged drug traffic. He faced trial last January 25.
However, the judge hearing the case released Del Nogal from prison on a technicality, despite the request of the prosecution to keep the defendant in jail for alleged risk of flight.
The Venezuelan Embassy in Rome told Efe that Alex Del Nogal, following his release from jail, was in a foreigners' shelter in Trapani waiting for being deported to Venezuela.
The Embassy said it had no information on his new arrest.
According to local media, the prosecution asked for his detention again arguing that there was a high risk of flight.
Last January 25, Alex Del Nogal was prosecuted together with his brother Richard del Nogal -who was convicted to 15 years in jail and who has not been arrested yet. Four Italian citizens were also convicted to jail terms in this case.

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Kameron Lawhead

Kameron Lawhead, 33, of Kilauea, to two consecutive five-year terms for the crimes.
Lawhead argued with the judge and offered a “thank you” upon receiving the sentence.
Lawhead was convicted Oct. 31 for the two Class C felonies, each punishable by up to five years of imprisonment.
Deputy Prosecutor Marc Guyot recommended the court impose the maximum sentence of 10 years when presenting the case.
The convictions stem from a 2006 incident in which Lawhead was found asleep with a nearby glass pipe.
Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that the pipe contained methamphetamine.
After a three-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching its unanimous verdict.
Prosecuting Attorney Craig DeCosta also prosecuted the case on behalf of the state; Honolulu attorney Emmanuel G. Guerrero represented Lawhead.

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Kameron Lawhead

Kameron Lawhead, 33, of Kilauea, to two consecutive five-year terms for the crimes.
Lawhead argued with the judge and offered a “thank you” upon receiving the sentence.
Lawhead was convicted Oct. 31 for the two Class C felonies, each punishable by up to five years of imprisonment.
Deputy Prosecutor Marc Guyot recommended the court impose the maximum sentence of 10 years when presenting the case.
The convictions stem from a 2006 incident in which Lawhead was found asleep with a nearby glass pipe.
Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that the pipe contained methamphetamine.
After a three-day trial, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching its unanimous verdict.
Prosecuting Attorney Craig DeCosta also prosecuted the case on behalf of the state; Honolulu attorney Emmanuel G. Guerrero represented Lawhead.

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Shane Leslie Wood,Joseph A. Oliveira Jr,Larry D. Simms Jr,Frank Gonzales,Eddie Cabassa ,Dan M. Danforth

Larry D. Simms Jr., 24, of Waterville and Eddie Cabassa were arrested after police caught them trying to flush more than 100 grams of lump, crack cocaine down a toilet.
Police said the rock was two-thirds the size of a softball.
The cocaine reportedly clogged the toilet, requiring the Winslow Public Works Department to remove the toilet from the floor and haul it away for police as evidence.
Winslow Police Chief Richard Grindall said it was the largest crack cocaine bust in memory. He said the estimated street value of the crack is between $7,500 and $10,000
Both men are charged with aggravated trafficking and with falsifying evidence for allegedly trying to flush away the drugs.
They each face up to 30 years in prison.
Simms is charged additionally with possession of another drug and with violating the conditions of his release.
An indictment is not a determination of guilt, but is rather a conclusion that there is enough evidence against a defendant to proceed with a trial in Superior Court.
Other indictments handed down this week include drug charges against Dan M. Danforth, 37, of Canaan, charged by the grand jury with aggravated trafficking and possession of the narcotic Oxycodone. The crimes are alleged to have happened in Sidney in December.
The trafficking charge is a Class A felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Also indicted by the grand jury was Frank Gonzales, 52, of Waterville, charged on eight separate criminal charges.
Gonzales is charged with felony burglary of a home in Waterville Jan. 12, assault, aggravated criminal trespass, criminal mischief, violating a protection order and other charges the same day against the same female victim, according to the grand jury.
He also is charged with violating a protection order on Jan. 11 for having contact with the same woman at her residence.
Other indictments include:
Joseph A. Oliveira Jr., 18, of Charleston, on charges of furnishing cocaine last Dec. 5 in Waterville. He is charged additionally with operating after suspension, failure to give his correct name and with attaching improper motor vehicle registration plates.
Jacob Olivares, 27, of Waterville, charged with trafficking in Oxycodone, Jan. 11, in Waterville.
n Peter J. Dubord, 47, of Augusta, indicted on a charge of criminal operating under the influence. Aug. 30, 2007, in Waterville. Dubord has two prior OUI convictions within the past 10 years.
He also is charged with operating beyond license restriction the same day.
Shane Leslie Wood, 40, of Vassalboro, charged by the grand jury with marijuana cultivation and trafficking in more than a pound of marijuana last December. He is charged additionally with violating the conditions of his release in January.

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Ian Gayle

Ian Gayle, 43, admitted acting as a drug courier and pleaded guilty to possessing 46.2 grams of crack-cocaine with intent to supply.
Gayle, of Fairfield Road, Edmonton had been renting a room in a house in Galway Avenue in Ipswich when the property was searched on December 5 last year.
Godfried Duah, prosecuting, said Gayle directed police to an amount of “weed”. However two packages of crack-cocaine, £480 in cash, a mobile telephone, electronic scales and a razor blade with traces of a white substance were also found.
Gayle told police he was given “a substantial amount” of drugs to bring to Ipswich by someone he owed £25,000 to.
The court heard that the crack-cocaine was worth about £4,600, was 49 percent pure and therefore able to be “cut” further for street deals.
Mr Duah said Gayle had previous convictions for dealing Class A, B and C drugs.
Roger Thomson, mitigating, said his client had been a crack-cocaine addict since he was 16 and was under pressure by London dealers to courier the drugs.
Judge McKittrick said: “Your case, I know, is because you owed money to big boys in London. They pressurised you to come to Ipswich to supply to people who no doubt sell on the street. However, if pressure was put on you to sell drugs I have absolutely no sympathy for you at all.”
He said Gayle had 16 previous drug convictions in New York and London and had been offered help in the past to combat his addiction. But just two years ago he had been jailed for three years for attempting to export drugs from Jamaica.
He added: “I think people like you pose a risk to people in this town.”

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Javier Lopez Cardenas,Jose Luis Martinez

Javier Lopez Cardenas, 31, and Jose Luis Martinez, 29, arrived in a truck just before 3 p.m. with the packaged kilos of cocaine in a laundry bin.
The transaction was made and officers quickly swooped in to complete the deal.
The two men, both South Putnam residents, are expected to face federal indictments for trafficking, with a possibility that charges may include conspiracy to distribute cocaine. As it now stands they face maximum life terms under federal sentencing guidelines.
Cardenas has a previous criminal record with several arrests, while Martinez is on probation in Putnam County for a 2003 possession of cocaine conviction.
After their arrest Tuesday, they were booked into the Putnam County Jail. The DEA took possession of the cocaine.
The wholesale purchase price of $240,000 makes this biggest drug bust in Putnam County history.
“It is the largest seizure in one instance,” said Maj. Keith Riddick. “We’ve had multiple cases that were more n the one we just did in Marion, for instance n but as far as one transaction, 10 ‘keys’ is largest that we can recall.”
In addition to sheriff’s detectives and the DEA, the operation included support from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Service (ICE) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Riddick was quick to point out that the amount of drugs seized is feather in the cap, but his agency will make an arrest whether it’s a kilo of cocaine or one crack rock.
“We’ll take the single rock arrest Friday night or the 10 ‘key’ arrest we made yesterday,” he said. “All of these cases we work on. We keep going up the ladder.
“The whole idea is to follow the dope to its source and stop the source.”
Sheriff Dean Kelly said he was ecstatic with the outcome of the operation and praised the efforts of all the law enforcement agents involved.
“Such cases as this one are made possible because of the incomparable relationships that exist between the (sheriff’s office) and their federal law enforcement brothers,” he said.
Riddick said the investigation will continue and more arrests are expected

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Daniel J. Nicksic

Daniel J. Nicksic left St. Thomas More School in the back of a police car Wednesday, under arrest for cocaine possession
Daniel J. Nicksic left St. Thomas More School in the back of a police car Wednesday, under arrest for cocaine possession.
Nicksic, 29, was taken into custody after students had left for the day and was "very cooperative" with police officers who arrested him on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance, Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said. "
I'm very saddened," said Principal Chet Nordyke on Wednesday. "We had no idea (about the charges). He was a nice guy."
Nicksic was found with a small quantity of what appeared to be cocaine in his car during a Sept. 7 traffic stop in the 4300 block of Cameron, Miller said.
Nicksic had joined the faculty at St. Thomas only a week earlier, Nordyke said, and a background check conducted before he was hired by the diocese showed no prior criminal record.
Nicksic previously worked as a substitute in Hammond.
He was not formally charged until Wednesday, as prosecutors had to wait for the State Police crime lab to complete tests on the drugs confiscated at the scene.
Nicksic's laid-back attitude put off some parents, though it made him popular with students, said several St. Thomas More parents, who declined to give their names.
"I'm not surprised," said one father with two children enrolled. "The guy was from a different planet. My kids didn't like him much. He was always going off somewhere to smoke cigarettes and drinking Red Bull (energy drinks). "He was a goofball."
Nordyke convened a meeting with staff members after Nicksic was led out of the building.
"We prayed for him and his family, and also for our school and students," he said

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Darren Hill

Darren Hill was charged with trafficking in cocaine, manufacture of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of ecstasy. Hill was additionally arrested on an open warrant charging him sale and delivery of a controlled substance
DeLand police and the West Volusia Narcotics Task Force raided Hill's residence, 713 Laisy Drive, at about 6 a.m. and seized two digital scales and a glass bowl with cocaine residue, authorities said. Agents also said they discovered cocaine residue on the stove, a sign that crack was being manufactured at the home, according to authorities.
In all, agents said they seized about 107 grams of crack cocaine, 13 grams of powder cocaine, 16 grams of marijuana and one ecstasy pill. Agents said they also recovered a pressure washer that had been reported stolen by the Volusia County School District.
Hill was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach without bond.

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Paul Muscat

A Gozitan part-time farmer was yesterday jailed for 18 years and fined €45,000 (Lm19,318) after a panel of jurors found him guilty to cultivating, possessing and trafficking in over 19 kilogrammes of dried cannabis leaves worth €47,100 (Lm20,220).
After five hours deliberation, the panel of jurors found Paul Muscat, 59, from Nadur, guilty by seven votes to two to cultivating cannabis in his fields at Wied Bingemma limits of Nadur Gozo. He was also found guilty by eight votes to one of trafficking in cannabis and being in possession of the drug in circumstances denoting that it was not for his personal use.
He was unanimously acquitted of associating himself with other people to traffic cannabis.
Muscat was arrested on 16 December 2003 after the police had put him under surveillance.
In handing down his judgment, Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, said he took into consideration the damage that drugs cause to society, the considerable amount of cannabis found in Muscat’s possession as well as the uniformity of penalties inflicted in similar cases.
In his submissions on penalty defense counsel Joe Brincat reminded presiding judge Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono that Muscat was boarded out of work due to his cardiac problems.
For her part, prosecutor Dr Lara Lanfranco from the Office of the Attorney General said Muscat had no qualms in trying to defend himself by throwing mud at the police. The jurors certainly did not believe his version of events, she said, as they had found him guilty.
On Tuesday, Muscat in his testimony had accused a sergeant of hitting him in the face and chest, and an inspector of threatening him and his wife.
This matter had unfortunately thrown bad light on the police force as Muscat’s version of events had been reported faithfully by the media, she said.

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Akram Omar Ibrahim Tawerghi

A Libyan man was remanded in custody yesterday after pleading not guilty to possessing a “considerable amount” of cannabis resin with intent to traffic it.
Akram Omar Ibrahim Tawerghi, 23, was accused of being in possession of the cannabis which was found in circumstances denoting it was not for his personal use.
The court heard how on Wednesday night, the police caught Mr Tawerghi in possession of a “considerable amount” of cannabis, hidden in a container in his sock.
The accused told the police, and repeated in court yesterday, that the cannabis was for his personal use and that he had no intention of selling it.
Magistrate Doreen Clarke turned down a request for bail and Mr Tawerghi was remanded in custody.
Police Inspector Nadia Lanzon and Carlo Ellul prosecuted while Dr Leon Bencini appeared for the accused.

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Timothy Dullum

Timothy Dullum, 38, is due in court today after his arrest this morning outside 704 Keck Avenue, where police say he set up a meth lab. According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, Dullum admitted doing so and told authorities that he used and sold the drug.
Evansville Police Department officers went to the home shortly before 2 a.m. in response to a narcotics complaint and met Dullum as he was leaving, the affidavit said.
A search of his jacket turned up a substance that tested positive for meth, along with $475 in cash, the affidavit said.
Officers then searched the house, where police said they discovered numerous items associated with an active meth lab, including propane and torch tanks that tested positive for meth, according to the affidavit.
According to the Indiana Offender Database, Dullum is on parole for March 2007 drug dealing conviction. It said he also has a Feb. 2005 conviction for a similar offense.

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