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veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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[NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport
#13990057 - 02/19/11 01:35 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport February 18, 2011 - CNN
Authorities in New York seized more than $9 million worth of opium hidden inside a shipment of porcelain figurines last month at John F. Kennedy International Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Thursday.
The seizure happened on January 21, the agency said in a press release.
More than 30 porcelain cats were discovered in a shipment from Thailand, labeled "plastic samples" and despite an X-ray scan that yielded nothing suspicious, authorities chose to open the cargo and crack one of the figurines open, according to John Saleh, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
During the inspection, authorities discovered a total of 205 pounds of a brown, tar-like substance that turned out to be raw opium, mostly used to make heroin, Saleh said. The agency estimated the value of the opium at more than $9 million.
Saleh couldn't comment on the exact source of the package but did say it was intended for an address in the greater New York area.
"Most times we find cocaine and heroin," Saleh said. "Opium was kind of unusual to find, especially in that quantity."
Federal authorities said there have been no arrests, and the investigation is continuing.
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Cognitive_Shift
CS actual




Registered: 12/11/07
Posts: 29,591
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Re: [NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport [Re: veggie]
#13990382 - 02/19/11 02:55 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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Ship raw opium and make it into heroin inside the US?
Never heard of that but it looks like a pretty sophisticated operation.
-------------------- L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs
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SuperD
Cacti junky


Registered: 10/05/03
Posts: 6,648
Loc: The bridgesii bridge
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Re: [NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport [Re: veggie]
#13990619 - 02/19/11 03:41 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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I love the inflated value of this particular seizure. $9 million worth of opium hidden inside [more than] 30 porcelain cats? That's a load of cat shit.
That would be $300,000 worth of opium hidden inside each of those tiny porcelain cats. Does not compute.
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   D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin. Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade
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Cognitive_Shift
CS actual




Registered: 12/11/07
Posts: 29,591
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Re: [NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport [Re: SuperD]
#13990695 - 02/19/11 03:56 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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They always display they have made some major bust (inflated numbers) to try and convince the tax payers their money for the war on drugs isn't going down the shit hole it really is...
-------------------- L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs
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plustax
Stranger
Registered: 02/21/10
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Last seen: 11 years, 2 months
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Re: [NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport [Re: Cognitive_Shift]
#13992288 - 02/19/11 09:06 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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"despite an X-ray scan that yielded nothing suspicious, authorities chose to open the cargo and crack one of the figurines open"
What? Why?
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melfdis
Strangerer

Registered: 07/22/07
Posts: 302
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: [NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport [Re: SuperD]
#13992901 - 02/19/11 10:42 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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Quote:
SuperD said: I love the inflated value of this particular seizure. $9 million worth of opium hidden inside [more than] 30 porcelain cats? That's a load of cat shit.
That would be $300,000 worth of opium hidden inside each of those tiny porcelain cats. Does not compute.
Yeah, article says its 205 pounds worth. By their numbers that's $43,902.43 per pound or $96.78 per gram. Don't know of anywhere that opium sells for that much. In Afghanistan, a kilo can be bought for like $150.
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argg
Stranger


Registered: 07/20/09
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Loc: Nigeria
Last seen: 12 years, 8 months
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Re: [NY] More than $9 million in opium seized at JFK airport [Re: plustax]
#13992937 - 02/19/11 10:46 PM (13 years, 14 days ago) |
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Quote:
Cognitive_Shift said: They always display they have made some major bust (inflated numbers) to try and convince the tax payers their money for the war on drugs isn't going down the shit hole it really is...
To me I would think it would upset the taxpayers telling them how much in income that is being missed as illegal stuff gets no taxes paid on it.
Quote:
plustax said: "despite an X-ray scan that yielded nothing suspicious, authorities chose to open the cargo and crack one of the figurines open"
What? Why?
the labels said plastic samples but the cats where porcelain and looked shitty. If you do a job long enough sometimes you get a hunch maybe. I wonder how many times they missed other shipments or even how many tons of other shit got passed them that day.
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