While the detox process is painful and difficult for all the patients, most are making it through without complications, until Mindy McCready suffers an intense seizure and is taken to the hospital. Heidi Fleiss exposes to the group that she spends most of her time alone with birds in the desert, while Dennis shares that he hosts parties in his home for hundreds of people every night. Tom Sizemore finally arrives for treatment, but before Dr. Drew can fully admit him, Tom leaves against Dr. Drew's wishes.
zSHARE video - celebrity.rehab.with.dr.drew.Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew – Season 3 Episode 3 – Dealing with the Past
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Dennis Rodman's alcohol abuse video - Celebrity.Rehab.With.Dr.Drew.
Dr. Drew's patients are just beginning the treatment process, and as many of them are life-long drug users, the physical effects of detox are severe for many of the addicts. Mike Starr is having the most severe withdrawal, which is causing him to become confused and act out towards the staff. Then later in process group, the patients reveal their lowest points, and we see one of the many consequences of Dennis Rodman's alcohol abuse.
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Geri Halliwell's lover was arrested for possessing cocaine after a night out at top London club.
Geri Halliwell's lover was arrested for possessing cocaine after a night out at top London club.Henry Beckwith, 31, the heir to a £400m fortune, was held by officers near Raffles nightclub in Chelsea, a haven for rich socialites.Rumoured to be set to marry the Spice Girls singer, Beckwith was not with her at the time of his early-morning arrest.Unconcerned: Geri Halliwell and Henry Beckwith at The Ivy following his arrest and caution for cocaine possessionA Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We can confirm a 31-year-old man was found with a quantity of white powder in Paulton Square where he was arrested on suspicion of possessing a class A drug.'He was later cautioned after being taken in handcuffs to Chelsea Police Station just before 2am on Sunday morning.A source at members-only club Raffles told the Sunday Mirror: 'Beckwith is a regular and was here partying in the early hours of Sunday morning.
'He was seen going outside and around the corner, where he was searched by the police.'Raffles has a strict policy on drugs - anyone found with them in the club will be banned.'I'm sure Geri wasn't too delighted he had been arrested for drugs.'Devoted mum: Geri Halliwell and daughter Bluebell wearing matching coats at Heathrow Airport Halliwell has dated Beckwith for a year and sparked rumours of a possible engagement when she was seen visiting her parish church in Hampstead, North London.The 37-year-old mother of Bluebell, three, took her friend Kenny Goss to meet the vicar of St-John-at-Hampstead.
Goss, the partner of George Michael, was seen dining with the couple and David Walliams at The Ivy restaurant in london last night.
'He was seen going outside and around the corner, where he was searched by the police.'Raffles has a strict policy on drugs - anyone found with them in the club will be banned.'I'm sure Geri wasn't too delighted he had been arrested for drugs.'Devoted mum: Geri Halliwell and daughter Bluebell wearing matching coats at Heathrow Airport Halliwell has dated Beckwith for a year and sparked rumours of a possible engagement when she was seen visiting her parish church in Hampstead, North London.The 37-year-old mother of Bluebell, three, took her friend Kenny Goss to meet the vicar of St-John-at-Hampstead.
Goss, the partner of George Michael, was seen dining with the couple and David Walliams at The Ivy restaurant in london last night.
cocaine alters the way the genes in your brain operate
It's hardly a secret that taking cocaine can change the way you feel and the way you behave. Now, a study published in the Jan. 8 issue of Science shows how it also alters the way the genes in your brain operate. Understanding this process could eventually lead to new treatments for the 1.4 million Americans with cocaine problems, and millions more around the world. The study, which was conducted on mice, is part of a hot new area of research called epigenetics, which explores how experiences and environmental exposures affect genes. "This is a major step in understanding the development of cocaine addiction and a first step toward generating ideas for how we might use epigenetic regulation to modulate the development of addiction," says Peter Kalivas, professor of neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina, who was not associated with the study. Though we think about our genes mostly in terms of the traits we pass on to our children, they are actually very active in our lives every day, regulating how various cells in our bodies behave. In the brain this can be especially powerful. Any significant experience triggers changes in brain genes that produce proteins — those necessary to help memories form, for example. But, says the study's lead author, Ian Maze, a doctoral student at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, "when you give an animal a single dose of cocaine, you start to have genes aberrantly turn on and off in a strange pattern that we are still trying to figure out." Maze's research focused on a particular protein called G9a that is associated with cocaine-related changes in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region essential for the experience of desire, pleasure and drive. The role of the protein appears to be to shut down genes that shouldn't be on. One-time use of cocaine increases levels of G9a. But repeated use works the other way, suppressing the protein and reducing its overall control of gene activation. Without enough G9a, those overactive genes cause brain cells to generate more dendritic spines, which are the parts of cells that make connections to other cells.
Increases in the number of these spines can reflect learning. But in the case of addiction, that may involve learning to connect a place or a person with the desire for more drugs. Maze showed that even after a week of abstinence, mice given a new dose of cocaine still had elevated levels of gene activation in the nucleus accumbens, meaning G9a levels were still low. It is not known how long these changes can last. Maze also showed that when he intervened and raised G9a levels, the mice were less attracted to cocaine.
It's a big leap from a mouse study to a human study, of course — and an even bigger leap to consider developing a G9a-based treatment for addiction. The protein regulates so many genes that such a drug would almost certainly have unwanted and potentially deadly side effects. But a better understanding of the G9a pathways could lead to the development of safer, more specific drugs. And studying the genes that control G9a itself could also help screen people at risk for cocaine addiction: those with naturally lower levels of the protein would be the ones to watch. Still, there's a lot to be learned even from further mouse studies — particularly if the work involves younger mice, unlike the adults used in Maze's research.
New treatments are definitely needed for cocaine addiction: there are helpful medications for addiction to heroin and similar drugs, but so far, none are particularly useful against stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine. And with federal reports now showing that more than two-thirds of all cocaine in the country is cut with a veterinary deworming drug called levamisole, which can cause potentially fatal immune-system problems, the risks from cocaine are greater — and the search for new answers more urgent than ever.
Increases in the number of these spines can reflect learning. But in the case of addiction, that may involve learning to connect a place or a person with the desire for more drugs. Maze showed that even after a week of abstinence, mice given a new dose of cocaine still had elevated levels of gene activation in the nucleus accumbens, meaning G9a levels were still low. It is not known how long these changes can last. Maze also showed that when he intervened and raised G9a levels, the mice were less attracted to cocaine.
It's a big leap from a mouse study to a human study, of course — and an even bigger leap to consider developing a G9a-based treatment for addiction. The protein regulates so many genes that such a drug would almost certainly have unwanted and potentially deadly side effects. But a better understanding of the G9a pathways could lead to the development of safer, more specific drugs. And studying the genes that control G9a itself could also help screen people at risk for cocaine addiction: those with naturally lower levels of the protein would be the ones to watch. Still, there's a lot to be learned even from further mouse studies — particularly if the work involves younger mice, unlike the adults used in Maze's research.
"We know that the greatest vulnerability [to addiction] occurs when adolescents are exposed," says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funded the study. "Would you see the same results in adolescent [mice]? And what happens during fetal exposure?"
New treatments are definitely needed for cocaine addiction: there are helpful medications for addiction to heroin and similar drugs, but so far, none are particularly useful against stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine. And with federal reports now showing that more than two-thirds of all cocaine in the country is cut with a veterinary deworming drug called levamisole, which can cause potentially fatal immune-system problems, the risks from cocaine are greater — and the search for new answers more urgent than ever.
We were theorizing that maybe it was something in the cocaine, levamisole
It was a medical mystery. In the summer of 2008, a man and woman, both in their 20s and both cocaine users, were separately admitted to a Canadian hospital with unremitting fevers, flulike symptoms and dangerously low white blood cell counts. Their symptoms were consistent with a life-threatening immune-system disorder called agranulocytosis, which kills 7% to 10% of patients and is rare except in chemotherapy patients and those taking certain antipsychotic medications.Neither of the Canadian patients fit that bill, but they did have one thing in common: illegal drug use, says Dr. Nancy Zhu, who treated the patients during her hematology fellowship at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton. "We were theorizing that maybe it was something in the cocaine," she says. The medical literature didn't contain any studies linking agranulocytosis with cocaine. However, earlier that same year, in April, a New Mexico lab had identified a small number of unexplained cases of the disorder, also in people who had snorted, injected or smoked cocaine. Later, in 2009, a few cocaine addicts in San Francisco — crack smokers, mostly — began displaying even stranger symptoms, like dead, darkened skin. "It looked like people were getting burns all over their body," says Dr. Jonathan Graf, a rheumatologist at the University of California, San Francisco. "[Their skin was] black, as if you had taken a cigarette butt to it. In some people, it was all over, on their legs and bellies."By this time, back in Canada, a toxicologist at Alberta Hospital had noticed an unusual chemical in the urine of the two cocaine-using patients: levamisole. Zhu contacted him and they put the puzzle together. Further research revealed that levamisole, a drug that was once used to treat colon cancer but is now reserved for veterinary use as a medication to get rid of worms, can cause agranulocytosis in humans. The "burns" seen in Californian patients, who were also suffering from agranulocytosis, were the result of skin infections related to patients' compromised immunity. There have now been several dozen cases of cocaine-related agranulocytosis reported in North America — and one known death. "For some reason, this drug called levamisole keeps popping up," Zhu says. Where is it coming from? According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, levamisole has become increasingly popular as a "cut" or diluting agent in cocaine and possibly some heroin. It is now found in 70% of all cocaine seized in the United States, up from 30% in 2008. Unlike most cuts — usually inert or relatively harmless substances like the B-vitamin inositol, which are added by lower-level dealers looking to stretch supplies — levamisole appears to be added to cocaine from the outset, in the countries of origin. The substance has been found in various concentrations in cocaine analyzed in various countries around the world, from Switzerland to Australia. And urine tests of cocaine users attending a drug clinic in San Francisco General Hospital in 2009 — one floor above Graf's office — found that 90% of samples were positive for levamisole; similar tests in Seattle revealed that 80% of cocaine users there had levamisole in their systems too."If it's showing up in all those different places, that's a prima facie indicator that it's happening at the highest levels of production," says Craig Reinarman, a sociologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz who has long studied cocaine. But since cocaine is illegal, there's no easy way to remove levamisole from the supply chain. Law enforcement could instead target large purchasers, possibly putting pressure on dealers to switch to other cuts.
But despite the wide use of levamisole, cases of agranulocytosis are relatively uncommon. According to government surveys, nearly two million Americans have taken cocaine at least once in the last month. "Why aren't 90% of cocaine users [in San Francisco] getting sick?" says Graf, who says he sees about one case every few weeks, mostly in women. He suspects that men are less likely to be affected because they are less vulnerable to autoimmune disorders than women, but says that the truth is, no one really knows why certain users become ill. Zhu and Graf urge users who are suffering from fever or unexplained infections to seek medical help immediately — the sooner agranulocytosis is treated, the greater the odds of survival.
To both physicians, the biggest mystery may be the power of cocaine addiction itself. Some of Graf's patients waited months before seeking help, as patches of painful, blackened skin continued to grow — and some continued to use cocaine despite learning that it caused their immune problems and that they could require plastic surgery to avoid permanent disfigurement. Zhu has treated several patients with life-threatening infections, some needing breathing tubes and intensive care. "It's quite sad, every time they use [cocaine], it happens. They wind up in the hospital for several weeks and almost die. But as soon as they go home and back into that environment, the cycle begins again."
Levamisole is cheap, widely available and seems to have the right look, taste and melting point to go unnoticed by cocaine users, which may alone account for the popularity of the cut."Ease of availability seems likely to be important," says Reinarman. "Let's remember that producer countries are widely agrarian." Levamisole is used on farms and its cost per gram is minimal.An understanding of how levamisole affects the body, however, may better explain its explosive popularity. A 1998 paper found that levamisole relieved symptoms of heroin withdrawal in rats and also raised levels of various brain chemicals related to drug highs. "It may increase dopamine and by so doing may enhance cocaine effects," speculates Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Research conducted by Eldo Kuzhikandathil, assistant professor of pharmacology at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, suggests that levamisole may indirectly increase the number of D1 dopamine receptors in the brain by affecting gene expression there. "Cocaine increases D1 expression," he says, "And this would probably accentuate that," which could enhance both highs and craving.Levamisole also affects acetylcholine receptors throughout the body, which can boost heart rate — and studies of cocaine users show that they associate jumps in heart rate with getting high, spurring good feelings even before the drug hits the brain. A cut that accelerates heart rate might make them think that they're getting the real thing. In the brain, levamisole may affect the same acetylcholine receptors activated by nicotine, another addictive drug that raises dopamine levels — and another possible clue to levamisole's lure.
But despite the wide use of levamisole, cases of agranulocytosis are relatively uncommon. According to government surveys, nearly two million Americans have taken cocaine at least once in the last month. "Why aren't 90% of cocaine users [in San Francisco] getting sick?" says Graf, who says he sees about one case every few weeks, mostly in women. He suspects that men are less likely to be affected because they are less vulnerable to autoimmune disorders than women, but says that the truth is, no one really knows why certain users become ill. Zhu and Graf urge users who are suffering from fever or unexplained infections to seek medical help immediately — the sooner agranulocytosis is treated, the greater the odds of survival.
To both physicians, the biggest mystery may be the power of cocaine addiction itself. Some of Graf's patients waited months before seeking help, as patches of painful, blackened skin continued to grow — and some continued to use cocaine despite learning that it caused their immune problems and that they could require plastic surgery to avoid permanent disfigurement. Zhu has treated several patients with life-threatening infections, some needing breathing tubes and intensive care. "It's quite sad, every time they use [cocaine], it happens. They wind up in the hospital for several weeks and almost die. But as soon as they go home and back into that environment, the cycle begins again."
Karl Barnes, 19, had been given a glowing progress report from Castington young offenders’ institution
Karl Barnes, 19, had been given a glowing progress report from Castington young offenders’ institution, Teesside Crown Court was told.Barnes, from South Bank, successfully completed a drug and alcohol abuse programme, and he was assessed as “polite” and “respectful”.He was arrested after he was spotted trying the door handles of five houses in Park Avenue, Teesville, after midnight on December 18. Barnes told police later: “I was off my head.”He had many previous convictions for dishonesty, and been sentenced to detention and training for robbery, the court heard yesterday.Richard Herrmann, defending, said: “He now realises it is his time to mature. He had taken drink and drugs and he has no recollection of where he was or what he was doing.”Barnes of Upper Princess Street, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal on December 18.Judge Peter Bowers told him: “It seems to me that from the letter I have got from the prison officer that you are getting a lot of help in Castington."It seems to me that when you are not in custody your compliance with any probation and intervention is intermittent.” Barnes was sentenced to 12 months detention in a young offenders’ institution.The judge added: “You will be released after half of that, and perhaps you can sort your life out.”
massive stash of amphetamines with a street value of £180,000
Cleveland Police made the discovery while searching a garage in Hartlepool last Friday.
Inside they found a massive stash of amphetamines with a street value of £180,000.
A search warrant was executed at a house on the town’s Irvine Road at 7.45am where officers found thousands of pounds in cash and an amount of suspected Class B drugs.Further inquiries led them to search a garage block near Innes Road in the town where they made the huge find.
Sergeant John Hemsworth, of Hartlepool District Drugs Unit, said: “This was a substantial recovery of what we believe to be amphetamines which would have been destined for the streets of Hartlepool and further afield.“Residents can be assured that we will always act on any information from the public about the use and supply of drugs.”A 40-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were arrested and have since been bailed while inquiries continue.
Inside they found a massive stash of amphetamines with a street value of £180,000.
A search warrant was executed at a house on the town’s Irvine Road at 7.45am where officers found thousands of pounds in cash and an amount of suspected Class B drugs.Further inquiries led them to search a garage block near Innes Road in the town where they made the huge find.
Sergeant John Hemsworth, of Hartlepool District Drugs Unit, said: “This was a substantial recovery of what we believe to be amphetamines which would have been destined for the streets of Hartlepool and further afield.“Residents can be assured that we will always act on any information from the public about the use and supply of drugs.”A 40-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were arrested and have since been bailed while inquiries continue.
evil Buckfast tonic wine
investigation by the BBC has revealed the true danger of the evil Buckfast tonic wine. Between 2006 and 2009 Buckfast was mentioned in over 5,000 crime reports in the Strathclyde region. Good lord! How shocking.The shock is not the utter amount of chaos Buckfast is portrayed as causing, rather it's the BBC's terrible analysis of these statistics.Let's start at the beginning. The BBC news story says:
the drink was mentioned in 5,638 crime reports in Strathclyde from 2006-2009, equating to three a day on average.One in 10 of those offences were violent and the bottle was used as a weapon 114 times in that period.Well the three-reports-a-day and one-in-ten-being-violent this works out as a violent incident involving Buckfast once every three or four days. And considering the large amount of violence that occurs in Glasgow on a day-to-day basis anyway this is almost totally negligible. It is also only slightly more often than a murder in Glasgow, one of which occurs roughly every 5 days. The second factoid tells us that in the three years the statistics are taken from a Buckfast bottle was used as a weapon less than 40 times a year. And according to previous BBC report there were 40 murders using knives in 2007. Murders, not just stabbings or assaults. Clearly the issue of knife crime is much more of a pressing issue than Buckfast-bottle crime - although of course there will be some overlap between the two.
The BBC also talk about the old urban legend that the amount of caffeine in Buckfast is what causes drinkers to go crazy. This is despite there being no scientific evidence for this. If this were the case then vodka-Red Bull mixes would bring about the same reaction surely?
Laying the blame for violent crime at the door of Buckfast is stupid and short-sighted. Buckfast may be involved in over 5000 crime reports, but how many involve beer, or whiskey, or wine, or sloe gin. How does this correspond to their respective share of the drinks market? Come to think of it, how many crime reports involve alcohol, and how what percentage is this of all crime? Just loudly stating "over 5,000 crime reports" is meaningless as you haven't given it any context.
And why is Buckfast to blame? I know plenty of people who like to drink it at parties, and none of them have managed to get in a fight or crack people's skulls open with the bottle. Most of them just end up passing out. The problem surely isn't that Buckfast makes people violent, more that violent people drink Buckfast. Stop them doing that and you'd probably see a rise in violence associated with some other drink.
Honestly, this is such pointless alarmist crap. Scotland collectively has a drinking problem. This is what needs to be sorted out. Not dangerously pointing fingers at some trumped-up bad guy, or demanding legislation to stop people from exercising their rights of consumer choice.
the drink was mentioned in 5,638 crime reports in Strathclyde from 2006-2009, equating to three a day on average.One in 10 of those offences were violent and the bottle was used as a weapon 114 times in that period.Well the three-reports-a-day and one-in-ten-being-violent this works out as a violent incident involving Buckfast once every three or four days. And considering the large amount of violence that occurs in Glasgow on a day-to-day basis anyway this is almost totally negligible. It is also only slightly more often than a murder in Glasgow, one of which occurs roughly every 5 days. The second factoid tells us that in the three years the statistics are taken from a Buckfast bottle was used as a weapon less than 40 times a year. And according to previous BBC report there were 40 murders using knives in 2007. Murders, not just stabbings or assaults. Clearly the issue of knife crime is much more of a pressing issue than Buckfast-bottle crime - although of course there will be some overlap between the two.
The BBC also talk about the old urban legend that the amount of caffeine in Buckfast is what causes drinkers to go crazy. This is despite there being no scientific evidence for this. If this were the case then vodka-Red Bull mixes would bring about the same reaction surely?
Laying the blame for violent crime at the door of Buckfast is stupid and short-sighted. Buckfast may be involved in over 5000 crime reports, but how many involve beer, or whiskey, or wine, or sloe gin. How does this correspond to their respective share of the drinks market? Come to think of it, how many crime reports involve alcohol, and how what percentage is this of all crime? Just loudly stating "over 5,000 crime reports" is meaningless as you haven't given it any context.
And why is Buckfast to blame? I know plenty of people who like to drink it at parties, and none of them have managed to get in a fight or crack people's skulls open with the bottle. Most of them just end up passing out. The problem surely isn't that Buckfast makes people violent, more that violent people drink Buckfast. Stop them doing that and you'd probably see a rise in violence associated with some other drink.
Honestly, this is such pointless alarmist crap. Scotland collectively has a drinking problem. This is what needs to be sorted out. Not dangerously pointing fingers at some trumped-up bad guy, or demanding legislation to stop people from exercising their rights of consumer choice.
Rid of the pain of heroin
The amount of the benefit that it takes to be a heroin addict overcome their addiction - or even ask for help - greatly. A decision made out when you are under the influence of no use because I do not feel much or think wearing almost nothing, and when starting the drug and withdrawal symptoms begin, it is a very difficult decision to make. They know that to stop the pain if you got another, and the pain is unbearable. That's where a good heroin> Detox comes in, and that is why you have someone in detoxification from heroin immediately if you get the chance. After deducting committed, the person is probably going through physical and mental torture. What would your decision if you are vomiting, trembling, very excited, nervous and depressed and go through what is probably the worst and most crippling muscle and bone pain have you ever heard or feel ever in your life - would be moreRid of the pain of heroin, or if you choose to stand for several days or longer? The majority of drug addicts - 95 percent of them - choose the drug. Only 5 percent of the test, heroin and other opiates cold turkey success. If the person is in the throes of heroin withdrawal, even in the early stages, there will be one more chance to convince you that they know they help, if you let them get into a drug rehabilitation center that they obtain areHeroin detoxification in a way that effectively relieve the symptoms that now goes into being. Yes, including everything they want from drugs. But during the withdrawal, the drug seems to only your salvation. A good detoxification program that allows you to alleviate heroin withdrawal symptoms, their hopes that they can actually be free of drugs. If you or someone you want to end heroin addiction, you should know that it is so unbearably painfulThe experience might be expected. Best of all, when used with the recall, if you have a good program of detoxification from heroin, backups and all other food you need help, you will feel physically and emotionally stronger than you have felt in a long time and you are in a better position to address the problems behind the addiction. Then you can stay free of drugs. The fear of withdrawal is one of the main reasons for heroin addicts do not get help - have a little taste of whoWithdrawal, he was gone too long without a hit, or who have often seen or heard about the withdrawal of other experiences. Knowing that they are in a program of detoxification from heroin that these complaints are often all they need to accept, however, to obtain relief to get help. And a good drug detox is the beginning of the end of heroin addiction.
NASA is currently investigating the origins of a bag containing cocaine
The secret to being a rocket scientist has been revealed—cocaine! NASA is currently investigating the origins of a bag containing cocaine residue that was discovered in the hanger of the space shuttle Discovery in Cape Canaveral. "There are no obvious indications of anyone acting oddly or under the influence," a NASA spokesman said. Really, astronauts always stay awake for 50 hours at a time.
Heroin was discovered when police raided Alexander Skelly's house
Heroin was discovered when police raided Alexander Skelly's house in Craigmore Street on 2 April last year. Officers also discovered £1,350 in cash in the bedroom and a further £180 after searching Skelly, 42. Sentence on Skelly, who has previous convictions for drugs offences, was deferred until next month. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that when police arrived at Skelly's house they asked if there were drugs in the property. He replied "just that smack there," indicating a bedside cabinet. Officers found a bag containing 37g of the drug on top of the cabinet, but then discovered another 17 wraps of brown powder each weighing about 27g within drawers. The prosecutor said a total of 507g of heroin were recovered in the raid, which police experts estimated had a wholesale value of £18,300 but could be worth £50,700 when broken into street deals.
Gerda Lienga, 42, was arrested at Belfast International Airport
Gerda Lienga, 42, was arrested at Belfast International Airport last June after getting off a flight from Paris. She was taken to a local hospital where 110 small packages containing more than a kilo of cocaine were recovered. She was jailed on Friday at Ballymena Crown Court and will be deported on completion of her sentence.
Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who arrested Lienga, said the purity of the cocaine was above normal and "could pose higher risks to the courier and users".
Senior HMRC officer John Whiting said: "Criminals dealing in drugs with high purity levels are thinking solely of increased profits, to further fund their illegal activity. "They show utter disregard for the damage drugs do to individuals and communities."
Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who arrested Lienga, said the purity of the cocaine was above normal and "could pose higher risks to the courier and users".
Senior HMRC officer John Whiting said: "Criminals dealing in drugs with high purity levels are thinking solely of increased profits, to further fund their illegal activity. "They show utter disregard for the damage drugs do to individuals and communities."
Juan Jose Larez, 40, of The Cloisters, Leyland, was jailed for his part in trying to smuggle six kilos of the class A drug
Juan Jose Larez, 40, of The Cloisters, Leyland, was jailed for his part in trying to smuggle six kilos of the class A drug into the UK through Manchester Airport. He was identified as ringleader of a five-strong gang behind the attempted plot. The jail terms follow a major investigation by HM Revenue and Customs which brought the gang down. His Honour Judge Henshall explained in his summing up at Manchester Court that he believed Larez - who also has an address in Venuzuela and is believed to spend most of his time there - was the main mover behind the plot.Officers from the UKBA originally detected the drugs on September 18 last year when a party of five people arrived on a flight from Paris to Venezuela.Officers searched baggage and discovered the class A drugs, which have a street value of £500,000, concealed within suitcases. Nick Shaw, of criminal investigations HMRC, said: "Working with our colleagues in the UKBA and prosecutors from RCPO, we will take every action to detect, seize and bring those smuggling drugs into the country before the courts.
Afghanistan produced 6000 tons of opium in 2006, 8200 tons in 2007 and 7700 tons in 2008.
Afghanistan produced 6000 tons of opium in 2006, 8200 tons in 2007 and 7700 tons in 2008. On average, the world demand of opium-based narcotics, including heroin, is only half of this production. Where is the rest of opium going? Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UNODC is convinced that is the only explanation. In a recent bulletin he issues an urgent order: 'Find the missing opium.' "As a priority, intelligence services need to examine who holds this surplus, where it may go, and for what purpose" he says. "We know little about these stockpiles of drugs, besides that they are not in the hands of farmers."
Dublin boy (17) has been received a seven year sentence after being found in possession of heroin worth €150,000.
Dublin boy (17) has been received a seven year sentence after being found in possession of heroin worth €150,000.The boy pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his guardian’s home on December 9th, 2007. He had 19 previous convictions for a range of offences including public order and assault.Garda John Griffin told the court the drugs were found in the teenager’s bedroom which he shared with his uncle and he admitted to gardai that they belonged to him.Garda Griffin agreed with defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha that the boy’s life “would have been at risk” had he identified the source of the drugs.Mr Ó Lideadha told the court his client was under his grandaunt’s care after his father had to be hospitalised following an accident and his mother had “her own difficulties to deal with”.
“He is someone in need of structure, support and discipline” before he added that he was going to suspend the last four years of the sentence “to give him some hope for the future”.
He said that the teenager was a drug user at the time and that he appeared he had “been under instruction” in this offence and was to receive a small amount of money for his involvement.Judge Patrick McCartan said that heroin was “a very damaging drug that caused havoc in society and provided a lot of money to people, unlike this boy, but higher up than him”. He accepted that he was involved to pay off a “small debt” and he was under “the control of sinister people”. Judge McCartan said that the teenager was living in “a chaotic situation” and was likely to get in further trouble “with devastating consequences for him”.
“He is someone in need of structure, support and discipline” before he added that he was going to suspend the last four years of the sentence “to give him some hope for the future”.
Home Office officials have admitted that the street price of class A drugs, cocaine and heroin, has fallen by almost 50% over the past decade.
Home Office officials have admitted that the street price of class A drugs, cocaine and heroin, has fallen by almost 50% over the past decade.Widely recognized as the most dangerous illegal drugs, heroin and cocaine are currently cheaper than they have ever been.
Labour had failed to stem the flow of Class A drugs into the UK
Home Office has admitted that the street price of both cocaine and heroin has fallen by nearly half in the last ten years, making the most dangerous illegal drugs cheaper than they have ever been.Based on reports from police forces, the Home Office said that cocaine is now being sold for as little as £20 a gram in some parts of the country.The most common price for the drug is £40 per gram. Home Office figures for 1998 show the average price was £77.A gram of heroin can now be bought for as little as £25, with the average price somewhere between £40 and £50 per gram. In 1998, the average was £74.The Home Office figures are based on data collected from police forces and the Serious Organised Crime Agency.According to DrugScope, a charity that provides research and advice on drugs policy, gram of cocaine can make between 10 and 20 lines for snorting, depending on its strength.That means a line of cocaine can cost as little as £1, with an average price per line of between £2 and £4.The average price of a pint of lager is around £2.75, although some pub chains have reacted to the credit crunch by cutting the price of a pint as low as 99p. A glass of wine typically costs £3.50.The figures were uncovered by the Tories, who said they proved that Labour had failed to stem the flow of Class A drugs into the UK.
James Brokenshire, the Conservative shadow home affairs minister, called the figures "startling."He said: "These startling figures show the reality of drug use in Britain. Price falls of this nature indicate that the supply of hard drugs into this country has jumped. It's a serious indictment of Labour's failure to combat drug crime and stem the flow of drugs onto our streets."Less cocaine is being intercepted on Britain's borders. The Home Office figures last year showed that the total weight of cocaine seized actually fell by 15 per cent a year, and it has halved in five years.In 2003, 6,813 kg of cocaine was seized by police and customs officers in England and Wales. In 2006/07, it was 3,191kg. The last time cocaine seizures were smaller was 1999.The Home Office suggested that drug prices may be falling partly because fewer people are buying drugs.A spokesperson said: "A reduction in price may be associated with increased competition or reduced demand, not just increased availability.
"The British Crime Survey data shows that among 16-59 year olds Class A drug use in the past year declined from 3.4% in 2006/07 to 3.0% in 2007/08.
"In relation to cocaine the average purity at street level has declined continuously for a number of years, from 51% in 2003 to 34% in 2007."
Latvian Diana Sosnovska, 25, and Freddy Quintero-Mendoza
Latvian Diana Sosnovska, 25, and Freddy Quintero-Mendoza, a 49-year-old Venezuelan cook, were both sentenced to four years behind bars. The pair, who appeared to be travelling together, were arrested at Stansted Airport on June 16 2008 after arriving on a flight from Milan.Maddy Ratnett from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said: "This case demonstrates the great lengths that smugglers will go to in an attempt to conceal illegal drugs. The sentences handed down today to these couriers should send out a clear message that you will pay the price."Sosnovska, who lives in north London, was stopped and searched by officers from the UK Border Agency. Three drug packages were discovered in her briefs and a further three were concealed in her bra, including one in the padding. In total officers recovered 638 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of £46,000.Mendoza from Brentwood was also stopped by officers but refused to be searched until a warrant was obtained. The case was passed over to officers from HMRC for further investigation. Later when Mendoza was searched, a package was found strapped to his groin area, kept tightly in place with cling film. Both Sosnovska and Mendoza were charged with smuggling offences and remanded in custody.X-rays taken later revealed that Mendoza had a number of packages in his stomach that he had swallowed. He eventually passed 17 small pellets each one approximately 3cm long and under went surgery to remove the last two pellets. In total approximately 498 grams of cocaine was recovered from Mendoza with a street value of £50,000.Ms Ratnett said: "We always pursue those who mastermind and finance this type of illegal trade and would urge anyone with information about drug smuggling to call the Customs' Hotline on 0800 59 5000." Both were charged with being knowingly concerned in the importation of cocaine and both pleaded guilty to the offences.
Henrique Dornelles Forni, 25, was among those arrested and that he was a principal distributor of synthetic drugs in Rio
"Local authorities need to pay attention to the emergence of synthetic drugs, they are the drug of the future," said Vitor Cesar Carvalho dos Santos, head of the narcotics department in the Rio police department. "This is a health problem."
Brazilian police said Thursday that it arrested 55 people in nationwide operations to crack two crime rings that were smuggling ecstasy, LSD and other synthetic drugs into the country from Europe.The police nabbed the suspects in eight Brazilian states, 47 of them in Rio de Janeiro, said Chief Enrico Zambrotti, the Federal Police coordinator of Operation Knockout, one of the two police operations.
Most of those arrested were people in their twenties from middle-class families with no prior criminal histories, Zambrotti said.
Investigators said that Henrique Dornelles Forni, 25, was among those arrested and that he was a principal distributor of synthetic drugs in Rio, the newspaper O Globo reported. He was captured while trying to escape from the penthouse where he lived in the Lagoa area of Rio, the paper said.
Brazilian police said Thursday that it arrested 55 people in nationwide operations to crack two crime rings that were smuggling ecstasy, LSD and other synthetic drugs into the country from Europe.The police nabbed the suspects in eight Brazilian states, 47 of them in Rio de Janeiro, said Chief Enrico Zambrotti, the Federal Police coordinator of Operation Knockout, one of the two police operations.
Most of those arrested were people in their twenties from middle-class families with no prior criminal histories, Zambrotti said.
The trafficking rings earned several hundred thousand dollars a month in a scheme that involved using drug "mules" to smuggle cocaine to Europe and then return to Brazil with synthetic drugs, the police said.
Investigators said that Henrique Dornelles Forni, 25, was among those arrested and that he was a principal distributor of synthetic drugs in Rio, the newspaper O Globo reported. He was captured while trying to escape from the penthouse where he lived in the Lagoa area of Rio, the paper said.
The operations began 10 months ago, investigators have arrested some two dozen drug mules that were suspected of carrying the drugs in from Europe and seized more than 100,000 ecstasy pills, the police said.
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