DRUG DEALERS

A small tornado causes widespread panic on the beaches of Huelva

2014-07-21T11:17:00.001+01:00

A quiet evening beach became just seconds into "absolute chaos." It happened Sunday at the beach of La Bota, around three p.m. . A small tornado surprised people quietly sunbathing and enjoying the sea. The air lifted by this atmospheric phenomenon took everything he found his way, dragging chairs, floats and umbrellas , and lifting more than 20 meters. A few hours earlier, about half past one p.m. , a gust of wind affected similarly Portil beach . The phenomenon s and known as "dust devil" , and is a spiral airflow caused by rising warm air masses from the surface. In appearance and their effects may seem a small tornado and vary in intensity and height . According to Civil Protection caused no injuries , and coincided with the role of a northwest wind blowing southwest at that time.

Spanish police have arrested a Colombian drug boss dubbed ‘The Mouse’, the alleged leader of a major cocaine smuggling gang accused of 400 killings

2014-07-20T20:33:00.001+01:00

Spanish police have arrested a Colombian drug boss dubbed ‘The Mouse’, the alleged leader of a major cocaine smuggling gang accused of 400 killings, officials said on Saturday. Officers arrested the 40-year-old, whose real name is reportedly Hernan Alonso Villa, in the eastern seaside city of Alicante on Friday, according to a police statement. He is considered ‘the top leader of the military wing of the Oficina de Envigado, a Colombian criminal organisation accused of 400 killings as well as drug-trafficking, extorsion and forced displacements of Colombian citizens’, it said. ‘He is one of the criminals most wanted by the Colombian authorities. He had more than 200 people under his command and was responsible for exporting cocaine to Spain, the United States and Holland,’ the statement said. Spanish officers arrested him under a Colombian extradition warrant for charges including alleged homicide and arms offences. He was carrying 40,000 euros ($54,000) in cash when he was caught, the statement said. Authorities say the ‘Oficina’ gang dates back to the 1980s when it carried out killings for the now-dismantled Medellin Cartel. Spain is one of the main entry points for illegal narcotics into Europe and Colombia is one of the world’s biggest sources of cocaine. Colombia produced 290 tonnes of cocaine in 2013, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Scientists Have Discovered Why Marijuana Makes You Paranoid

2014-07-20T08:09:00.001+01:00

Your weed-induced paranoia is a real thing.

A new study has found that weed can make actually you paranoid, confirming the findings of investigations dating back to the 1930s, as well as anyone who has ever smoked weed and then ridden the subway. However, researchers found that it's not the weed that directly causes panic, but rather that it makes you more vulnerable to the onset of panic. The study: Oxford University researchers administered intravenous injections to 121 participants who had all recently experienced paranoia. Two thirds received a dose of THC and the remaining third received a placebo.

The participants were then placed in a real-life situation — the hospital cafeteria — and a calm situation depicted in a virtual reality headset. Half of the real THC group felt elevated levels of anxiety and panic in both settings. In the placebo group, only a third felt such effects. Being high makes people more prone to becoming paranoid, but as the lead researcher puts it, "More importantly, it shines a light on the way our mind encourages paranoia. Paranoia is likely to occur when we are worried, think negatively about ourselves, and experience unsettling changes in our perceptions." When one is high, the changes in perception can lead to a state of disorientation, opening the way to panic and paranoid thoughts. If one feels self-conscious or anxious prior to getting high, then the high will make paranoia more likely to occur.

Clarifying the lore. It's common knowledge that the high from cannabis can generate some level of paranoia in some people, and consuming too much at once can lead to a panic episode. This study demonstrates that those feelings are a direct reaction to the unexpected nature of altered perception, and that a person manifests their own paranoia due to a state of disorientation. The report says that, in a normal state, "Many people have a few paranoid ideas, and a few people have many." Based on your existing vulnerability to paranoia, being high can exacerbate your tendency to feeling paranoid. A number of studies on cannabis over the past few decades cite paranoia as a side effect, including studies of its psychiatric effects, its dangers, and its medical uses, but none of them have discovered how much our own state of mind plays a part. Now we can confirm that if you smoke weed and start getting paranoid, it may well be your own state of mind.

Ms Sandiford to be executed for drug trafficking.

2013-01-22T10:22:00.001+00:00

Lindsay Sandiford was arrested in May last year after she tried to enter the Indonesian holiday island with illegal drugs worth £1.6 million hidden in her suitcase.

Local prosecutors had called for the 56-year-old housewife to be jailed for 15 years. But today there were gasps in the Bali courtroom when a panel of judges announced Ms Sandiford would be executed for drug trafficking.

As the shock verdict was announced, Ms Sandiford, from Gloucestershire, slumped back in her chair in tears before hiding her face with a brown sarong as she was led out of the courtroom.

Amber Gold affair is one of the biggest financial scandals to hit Poland since the fall of communism in 1989.

2012-08-28T12:44:00.001+01:00

It was pretty much all the money Bozena Oracz had after a working life as an accountant: the equivalent of $15,000. She placed it in a fund investing in gold, with the hope of paying for her daughter's studies and getting treatment for a bad knee.

Those dreams were dashed when she discovered she had fallen victim to an elaborate fraud scheme that has left thousands of Poles, many of them elderly, facing financial ruin.

The so-called Amber Gold affair is one of the biggest financial scandals to hit Poland since the fall of communism in 1989. The extent of wrongdoing is still murky, but it seems to have some elements of a pyramid scheme, meaning the financial institutionused funds from new clients to pay off older clients rather than investing them.

Consumed with anger and desperation, 58-year-old Oracz traveled last week from a small town near Warsaw to a law firm in the capital to consider whether, after losing 50,000 zlotys, she should risk another 3,000 zlotys ($920; €730) on the fee to join a class-action lawsuit seeking to recover some of the losses.

"This was a lot of money to me — it was my savings," Oracz said, fighting back tears. Now retired and living on a small pension, she sees no way of building another nest egg. "My pension barely covers my needs," she said.

The affair has raised questions about the effectiveness of Poland's justice system and government because authorities failed to act against the scheme despite red flags from regulators and the criminal record of its young owner. Scrutiny has also focused on the prime minister due to business dealings his son had with those running the scheme. The scandal has even touched democracy icon Lech Walesa, who fears it could tarnish his good name.

Prosecutors say investors lost about 163 million zlotys ($50 million; €40 million), a number that has been mounting as more and more victims come forward. Any law suits could take care years to go through the courts, with no guarantee of their outcome.

"People are desperate," said Pawel Borowski, a lawyer preparing the class-action suit that Oracz is considering joining. "In most cases the clients lost life savings or sold family properties to make investments."

The financial institution, Amber Gold, promised guaranteed returns of 10 to 14 percent a year for what it claimed were investments in gold. Many of its clients were older Poles who grew up under communism and lacked the savvy to question how a financial firm could guarantee such a high return on a commodity whose value fluctuates on the international market. The promised returns compared well to the 3 to 5 percent interest offered by banks on savings accounts — earnings essentially wiped out by the country's 4 percent inflation rate.

"These were people with a low level of financial education," said Piotr Bujak, the chief economist for Poland at Nordea Markets. "They think it's still like in the old times, where everything was guaranteed by the state. They underestimated the risk."

Amber Gold launched in 2009, opening branches in city centers alongside respected banks, with white leather sofas and other sleek touches that conveyed sophistication and respectability. It bombarded Poles with convincing advertisements. Some early investors got out with their expected gains, adding to the fund's credibility.

The company, based in Gdansk, capitalized on gold's allure while playing on people's anxieties in unpredictable financial times. "We are dealing with a loss of confidence in the entire financial system and an urgent need for safe investments," one ad said. "The environment for gold is perfect."

Amber Gold drew in 50,000 investors over its three years of operation, though the company's founder, Marcin Plichta, said there were only about 7,000 at the time of liquidation.

Soon after Amber Gold began operations, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority put it on a "black list" of institutions that operate like banks without authorization. There are 17 other such black-listed institutions in operation, but the regulators lack the authority to shut them down. This has sparked a debate in the government and news media about whether courts should be more aggressive in intervening.

According to prosecutors, the company did use some of its money to invest in at least one legitimate business: It was the main investor in budget airline OLT Express. It was this investment that brought Amber Gold down — when the airline filed for bankruptcy, Amber Gold entered liquidation and its scheme of investments unraveled. Its bank accounts were blocked and it was unable to return the money of thousands of its customers.

Plichta was charged this month with six counts of criminal misconduct.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's center-right government went into damage-control mode when it emerged that the leader's son, Michal Tusk, had done PR work for the airline. Tusk said he had warned his son against doing business with Plichta but that ultimately he son makes his own decisions.

Leszek Miller, the head of the opposition Democratic Left Alliance, asked how Tusk could warn his son against involvement in the airline but not warn the thousands of Poles who invested in the fund. Miller has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal.

Public discontent is also centering on the justice system because Plichta, 28, has past convictions for fraud, and many Poles are asking why authorities — aware of his criminal record — didn't stop him sooner. Born Marcin Stefanski, he took his wife's last name to distance himself from his past crimes.

The country's top prosecutor, Andrzej Seremet, admitted Monday that prosecutors were negligent in failing to heed multiple warnings since 2009 about Amber Gold from the financial supervisory body. He announced personnel changes in the office he blamed for mistakes.

The affair also has an unlikely connection to the Solidarity leader and former president, Lech Walesa, because an Oscar-winning director, Andrzej Wajda, was relying on money from Amber Gold to produce a film about Walesa's struggle in the 1980s.

Walesa came out publicly to make clear he is not involved in any way, saying he doesn't want his name "dirtied."

Many of the unlucky investors are not only furious but wracked by shame and guilt.

Engineer Andrzej Malinowski, 61, put three months of salary — 25,000 zlotys ($7,660; €6,100) — into Amber Gold. He made the investment without consulting with his wife, sensing that there was some risk and that she would not have agreed.

Now he is so shaken and embarrassed that he doesn't want to talk about it, leaving his wife, Danuta Malinowska, to help unravel the mess.

"He saw that gold was going higher and higher so he believed that maybe it would be a good deal," Malinowska said. "Now he has so much guilt that I am trying to help — contacting the lawyer, filling in the forms, writing to the prosecutors. But the justice system is very ineffective. I don't believe we will be getting any of this money back."

Miguel Angel Trevino Morales new leader is emerging at the head of one of Mexico's most feared drug cartels.

2012-08-27T14:28:00.001+01:00

This undated image taken from the Mexican Attorney General's Office rewards program website on Aug. 23, 2012, shows the alleged leader of Zetas drug cartel, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, alias âZ-40.â (AP Photo/Mexican Attorney General's Office website)

Mexico's Violent Zetas Cartel Sees New Leader Miguel Angel Trevino Morales A split in the leadership of Mexico's violent Zetas cartel has led to the rise of Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, a man so feared that one rival has called for a grand alliance to confront a gang chief blamed for a new round of bloodshed in the country's once relatively tranquil central states.

Trevino, a former cartel enforcer who apparently has seized leadership of the gang from Zetas founder Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, is described by lawmen and competing drug capos as a brutal assassin who favors getting rid of foes by stuffing them into oil drums, dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire, a practice known as a "guiso," or "cook-out".

Law enforcement officials confirm that Trevino appears to have taken effective control of the Zetas, the hemisphere's most violent criminal organization, which has been blamed for a large share of the tens of thousands of deaths in Mexico's war on drugs, though other gangs too have repeatedly committed mass slayings.

"There was a lot of talk that he was pushing really hard on Lazcano Lazcano and was basically taking over the Zetas, because he had the personality, he was the guy who was out there basically fighting in the streets with the troops," said Jere Miles, a Zetas expert and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent who was posted in Mexico until last year.

"Lazcano Lazcano, at the beginning he was kind of happy just to sit back and let Trevino do this, but I don't think he understood how that works in the criminal underworld," Miles said. "When you allow someone to take that much power, and get out in front like that, pretty soon the people start paying loyalty to him and they quit paying to Lazcano."

The rise has so alarmed at least one gang chieftain that he has called for gangs, drug cartels, civic groups and even the government to form a united front to fight Trevino Morales, known as "Z-40," whom he blamed for most of Mexico's violence.

"Let's unite and form a common front against the Zetas, and particularly against Z-40, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, because this person with his unbridled ambition has caused so much terror and confusion in our country," said a man identified as Servando Gomez, leader of the Knights Templar cartel, in a viedo posted Tuesday on the internet.

A Mexican law enforcement official who wasn't authorized to speak on the record said the video appeared to be genuine,

"He is the main cause of everything that is happening in Mexico, the robberies, kidnappings, extortion," Gomez is heard saying on the tape. "We are inviting all the groups ... everyone to form a common front to attack Z-40 and put an end to him."

Trevino Morales has a fearsome reputation. "If you get called to a meeting with him, you're not going to come out of that meeting," said a U.S. law-enforcement official in Mexico City, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.

In two years since Zetas split with their former allies in the Gulf cartel — a split in which Trevino reported played a central role — the gang has become one of Mexico's two main cartels, and is battling the rival Sinaloa cartel.

Now the Zetas' internal disputes have added to the violence of the conflict between gangs. Internal feuds spilled out into pitched battles in the normally quiet north-central state of San Luis Potosi in mid-August, when police found a van stuffed with 14 executed bodies.

San Luis Potosi state Attorney General Miguel Angel Garcia Covarrubias told local media that a 15th man who apparently survived the massacre told investigators that both the killers and the victims were Zetas. "It was a rivalry with the same organized crime group," Garcia Covarrubias said.

The leadership dispute also may have opened the door to lesser regional figures in the Zetas gang to step forward and rebel, analysts and officials said.

Analysts say that a local Zetas leader in the neighboring state of Zacatecas, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, "The Taliban," was apparently trying to challenge Trevino Morales' leadership grab, and that the 14 bullet-ridden bodies left in the van were The Taliban's men, left there as a visible warning by Trevino Morales' underlings.

The Taliban's territory, Zacatecas, appears to have been a hot spot in Trevino's dispute with Lazcano. It was in Zacatecas that a professionally printed banner was hung in a city park, accusing Lazcano of betraying fellow Zetas and turning them in to the police.

Trevino began his career as a teenage gofer for the Los Tejas gang, which controlled most crime in his hometown of Nuevo Laredo, across the border from the city of Laredo, Texas, officials say.

Around 2005, Trevino Morales was promoted to boss of the Nuevo Laredo territory, or "plaza" and given responsibility for fighting off the Sinaloa cartel's attempt to seize control of its drug-smuggling routes. He orchestrated a series of killings on the U.S. side of the border, several by a group of young U.S. citizens who gunned down their victims on the streets of the American city. American officials believe the hit men also carried out an unknown number of killings on the Mexican side of the border, the U.S. official said.

Trevino Morales is on Mexico's most-wanted list, with a reward of 30 million pesos ($2.28 million) offered for information leading to his capture.

Raul Benitez, a security expert at Mexico's National Autonomous University, said that the Zetas are inherently an unstable cartel with an already huge capacity for violence, and the possibility of more if they begin fighting internal disputes. "I think the Zetas are having problems, and there is no central command," he said.

The Zetas have been steadily expanding their influence and reaching into Central America in recent years, constructing a route for trafficking drugs that offloads Colombian cocaine in Honduras, ships it overland along Mexico's Gulf Coast and runs into over the border through Trevino Morales' old stomping grounds.

Samuel Logan, managing director of the security analysis firm Southern Pulse, notes that "personality-wise they (Trevino Morales and Lazcano) couldn't be more different," and believes the two may want to take the cartel in different directions. The stakes in who wins the dispute could be large for Mexico; Lazcano is believed to be more steady, more of a survivor who might have an interest in preserving the cartel as a stable organization.

"Lazcano may be someone who would take the Zetas in a direction where they'd become less of a thorn in the side for the new political administration," Logan said in reference to Enrique Pena Nieto, who is expected to take office as president on Dec. 1. "In contrast, Trevino is someone who wants to fight the fight."

Referring to Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, a member of the rival Sinaloa Cartel who died in a shootout with soldiers in July 2010, Logan noted, "Trevino is someone who is going to want to go out, like Nacho Coronel went out, with his guns blazing."

Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.

2012-08-27T14:19:00.001+01:00

Laurence Kilby, 40, of Cheltenham, who built and raced cars, was arrested after police seized cocaine with a street value of £1m.

A "privileged" racing driver has been jailed with 11 other drug smugglers. Crown Court heard he was head of a gang moving drugs from Eastern Europe along the M4 corridor to London, western England and south Wales.

Kilby was heavily in debt and turned to crime to maintain his lifestyle of fast cars and high living.

Raids on properties

Kilby was jailed in June but his conviction, and those of the rest of the gang, can now be reported following the conclusion of another trial.

In an undercover operation between Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset Police, officers seized 3kg of cocaine as it was being ferried between London and Cheltenham in October 2010.

Another 1kg of the drug was intercepted in Cheltenham in February 2011 and 2.5kg was discovered in raids on properties in Cheltenham, Staverton, Bristol and London in July 2011.

The gang of 12 drug dealers from Gloucestershire, Bristol and London received sentences of between 18 years and four years seven months.

It can now be reported Kilby, who was jailed in June, and Vladan Vujovic, 43, of Grange Road, London were found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Both were jailed for 18 years.

Kilby built and raced cars with the company he owned, Ajec Racing

Richard Jones, 42, of Bradley Stoke, Bristol, was sentenced to 15 years for the same offence, and Mark Poole, 47, from Portishead, was sentenced to nine years seven months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Police said Kilby sourced the drug in London from an East European criminal gang, which included Vujovic.

Vujovic ran a baggage handling company at Heathrow Airport and was said to receive the cocaine before it was distributed around the South West and Wales.

Kilby is the former husband of Flora Vestey, daughter of Lord Vestey, and was owner of motor racing firm Ajec Racing which was based in Staverton.

He was heavily in debt and turned to crime to maintain his lifestyle of fast cars and high living.

'Well-connected socialite'

In a separate charge, Kilby also pleaded guilty to stealing money from the charity Help for Heroes and was sentenced to 10 months, to run concurrently with his 18-year sentence.

He organised a charity race day at Gloucestershire Airport in July 2010, but failed to pass on between £3,500 and £4,000 in proceeds to the charity Help for Heroes.

Det Insp Steve Bean, from Gloucestershire Police, said Kilby was the main man.

"He portrayed himself as a well-connected socialite and businessman, whilst indulging his ambition as a minor league racing driver.

Police seized 6.5kg of drugs during the operation

"Despite a privileged background, the reality was that his lifestyle was funded by the ill-gotten gains of drug dealing.

"He continually lied and blamed others in an attempt to distance himself from the conspiracy.

"He displayed an air of arrogance and thought he could get away with it because he didn't get his hands dirty."

The majority of the gang were jailed in June, but reporting restrictions meant it could not be reported until now, after the sentencing of the remaining gang members.

Others members of the gang to be sentenced were:

David Chapman, 29, from Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and was sentenced to nine years.
William Garnier, 31, from Cheltenham, pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs and was sentenced six years and eight months.
Garry Burrell, 46, from Easton, Bristol, and John Tomlin, 28, from Newtown, Gloucestershire both pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and were sentenced to six years and six months and four years and six months respectively.
Timothy Taylor, 40, from Bristol was found guilty of supplying Class A drugs and was sentenced to four years and seven months.
Brian Barrett, 48, from Keynsham was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to 10 years.
Scott Everest, 39, from Clevedon was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and was jailed for seven years.

Jonathan Tanner, 45, from Warminster was sentenced to 18 months for possession with intent to supply of cannabis, but was cleared of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Darren Weetch, 38, from Bristol, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply. He was sentenced to 16 months.

Officers also worked with Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police during the operation.

Bikie gang suspects in brawl arrests at Penrith shopping centre

2012-08-27T14:06:00.001+01:00

FOUR men with alleged links to outlaw motorcycle gangs were arrested last week after a brawl at a Penrith shopping centre. Police officers from the gangs squad and Penrith local area command had been investigating the brawl, which forced shoppers to flee for their safety about 2.45pm last Monday. Police will allege a man was leaving the shopping centre when he was confronted by a group of nine men and fighting began. A number of people tried to intervene, including an unknown male who was assaulted. All involved in the brawl then left the scene. At 7am last Thursday, police simultaneously raided four homes at St Marys, Emu Plains, South Windsor and Freemans Reach. Three men with alleged links to the Rebels were arrested at St Marys and Emu Plains, while an alleged senior Nomads member was arrested at Freemans Reach. During the search warrants, police seized distinctive gang clothing, quantities of anabolic steroids and prescription drugs and a set of knuckledusters. A man, 29, of Emu Plains, was charged with affray, participate in a criminal group and two counts of possess prescribed restricted substance. A man, 44, of Freemans Reach, was charged with affray, possess prohibited weapon, and two counts of possess prescribed restricted substance. A man, 25, of St Marys, and a 23-year-old New Zealand man were each charged with affray and participate in a criminal group. Penrith crime manager Detective Inspector Grant Healey said further arrests were anticipated.

27 charged in California-Mexico methamphetamine ring

2012-08-27T11:38:00.001+01:00

Local and federal authorities moved Thursday to break up an alleged drug trafficking ring connecting a major Mexican cartel and San Gabriel Valley street gangs, arresting 17 people in a pre-dawn sweep. A federal indictment unsealed Thursday charges 27 defendants with making, possessing and dealing methamphetamine imported by La Familia Michoacana, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels, to two Pomona gangs: Los Amables and Westside Pomona Malditos. Seven law enforcement agencies, including the Pasadena and Pomona police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, were involved in the sweep. Thursday’s crackdown is the culmination of a probe called Operation Crystal Light, a 16-month investigation by the San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Gang Task Force. The investigation was launched after a 2011 kidnapping among suspected gang members in Southern California. Officers said they seized nine weapons, an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine, other drugs, and paraphernalia in Thursday morning raids in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The probe involved about 200 law enforcement officers and several undercover purchases. “The goal of the federal task force is to disrupt the network so it’s disrupted permanently,” Timothy Delaney, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Criminal Division in Los Angeles, said. “Today’s arrests took some very serious players in the methamphetamine world off the streets.” The methamphetamine came into the country in liquid form via airplane, boats and cars, officials said. The drug was recrystallized at an Ontario home before local gangs would sell it and funnel money to the Mexican cartel. Most of the drugs were being sold in Pomona and Ontario, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Shawn Nelson. Dealers were selling multiple pounds a day and making up to $9,000 per pound, Nelson said. He described the arrests as “a good dent” in the Mexican cartel’s local drug network. Three suspects were in custody before the raid and seven remain at large, federal authorities said. The indictment alleges that a La Familia Michoacana associate named Jose Juan Garcia Barron oversaw the transport of the meth between Mexico and Los Angeles County. Delaney said Garcia Barron is among the suspects who have not been apprehended. The 17 arrested Thursday were expected to make their first court appearance Thursday afternoon at U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Police think Ogden drive-bys are tied to gang's power struggle

2012-08-27T11:34:00.001+01:00

Police believe drive-by shootings at an Ogden home Tuesday night and Wednesday morning may be related to a violent power struggle within a street gang over control of leadership, drugs and money. Ogden Police Lt. Scott Conley declined to identify the gang, but said members are not affiliated with the Ogden Trece. On Monday, 2nd District Judge Ernie Jones issued a permanent injunction against Trece members, banning them from associating with each other in public and being in the presence of guns, drugs and alcohol. The injunction also places Treces under an 11 p.m. curfew. The drive-by shootings at a home in the 500 block of 28th Street are signs of in-fighting among members of a local gang who are attempting to resolve their differences through escalating violence, Conley said. “They are in the same gang and are arguing back and forth,” he said, noting police have gathered intelligence on the dispute. “We are taking enforcement action to eradicate the problem or get the individuals involved incarcerated.” Six to eight gang members are believed to be involved in the dispute.

ADDICTION charity Focus12 has received a huge financial boost after a codumentary about Russell Brand was shown last night.

2012-08-17T10:56:00.001+01:00

The documentary Russell Brand: Addiction to Recovery resulted in an immediate boost in donations and inspired the managing director of Bury St Edmunds based Chevington Finance and Leasing to offer the charity £106,000 over three years.

Russell Brand attended Focus12, the Bury St Edmunds abstinence-based alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre, in 2003 and is now a patron of the charity, describing it as ‘a really excellent example of a small cost effective rehab that can help people change in dramatic ways’.

Chip Somers, Focus12’s chief executive, said: “Russell’s documentary and his work this year to raise the profile of abstinence based recovery has got people talking about addiction in a different way, and made them realise that there is a viable alternative to simply giving up on addicts, or parking them on methadone.

“We are blown away by the generosity of Chevington — this financial support will make a huge difference to us as a charity and will certainly mean we can continue to stay open and help those who need us for longer. Raising funds for a recovery charity has never been harder than it is at present, every day is literally a struggle to keep afloat and we are very grateful.”

Clive Morris, Managing Director of Chevington Finance and Leasing said: “My wife and I were incredibly touched by last night’s documentary, which inspired us to endorse the local treatment centre Focus12, and we have today agreed funding assistance for the charity of £106,000 over the next 4 years.

“We believe that as a successful, responsible and reliable company we have a duty to help local charities survive this recession and the work that Chip Somers and his team do is fantastic and we fully endorse their abstinence based programme and have seen what a difference it makes to people’s lives.”

The Colombian Navy captured four Costa Ricans allegedly attempting to smuggle a ton of cocaine near San Andres island in the Caribbean

2012-07-17T13:33:00.001+01:00

The Colombian Navy captured four Costa Ricans allegedly attempting to smuggle a ton of cocaine near San Andres island in the Caribbean, pointing to Costa Rican groups’ growing role in the drug trade.

On July 14, the navy detained four Costa Rican citizens who were transporting 81 packets of cocaine, estimated to come to 1 ton, in a motorboat. The boat was spotted by a Colombian naval helicopter while traveling toward Central America.

Colombian Admiral Roberto Garcia Marquez told El Colombiano that San Andres had always been an “area of convergence” for traffickers. The groups use it as place to resupply and to collect drugs, which are then taken toward the Gulf of Mexico, the United States or Central America. The admiral also reported that the Colombian navy had established a new coast guard station in the archipelago to help combat drug trafficking.

InSight Crime Analysis

Costa Rica has increasingly been used by the drug trade in recent years. One factor that has driven up the transport of drugs through the country, according to Costa Rican authorities, is Panama’s crackdown on maritime trafficking in its waters, forcing drug traffickers to transport their product overland through Costa Rica. The country is thought to act as a meeting place for Colombian and Mexican gangs to hand drugs over to one another.

In February, Costa Rican police made their largest cocaine seizure since 2006, confiscating 2 tons of cocaine from two boats off the Pacific coast. The authorities arrested several Costa Rican and Colombian men who were operating the boats.

It is unclear whether the Costa Ricans arrested near San Andres were acting independently or working for a major regional trafficking organization. However, the February arrests, as well as the recent capture, suggest that Costa Ricans are no longer simply playing the role of facilitators for foreign drug organizations, but may be actively participating in the trade.

13 Hannibal drug dealers behind bars

2012-07-17T13:31:00.001+01:00

Hannibal police have arrested 13 people on drug charges over the last few days, many of whom are suspected drug dealers. Police said these arrests are the result of months of investigation, and show the police departments continued commitment to getting drugs out of the community. Police said the drug dealers arrested were selling not just meth, but also heroin, marijuana, cocaine, and prescription pills; all drugs that are all too common in the Hannibal area. "It's great, I'm glad to get them off the streets. drugs is a huge problem in our community," said Hannibal resident Cassie Wilson. Wilson is a mother of 4. She's thrilled to hear 13 people were arrested for drugs over the last few days. Chief Lyndell Davis said these arrests are significant because most of these people are accused of dealing drugs, selling everything from meth to heroin and cocaine. "There's methodone pills, there's prescription pills, there's marijuana, there's heroin, power cocaine, so we went after whoever was dealing, we went after them and it led to these arrests of these individuals," said Chief Davis. Davis said large drug arrests like this can have a big impact on the Hannibal area. "I think that when we do this we improve the quality of life, especially for the neighborhoods that are not as economically affluent as others," said Davis. Since the department started focusing more on arresting drug dealers, Davis said the community has become a safer place. "We've seen our violent crime take a dramatic drop and it's hard to prove it, but we do believe it's directly related," he said. But these arrests are just the beginning. Officers are constantly working on new leads, working to get more drugs out of the community. "This is an ongoing battle," said Davis. "It will be for sometime and there's a lot more in the works." Wilson said she just hopes officers can keep the arrests coming. "I'm just thankful that they're working on it and the more they do, the greater it is for us. They need to get it off the streets and keep our kids safe," said Wilson. Officers are still looking for 2 people connected to this weekend's drug investigation. They expect to make those arrests soon. Those arrested include: Tanesha A. McGruder, 30, of Hannibal, on distribution of a controlled substance (powder cocaine). Adam Drebes, 27, of Hannibal, on distribution of a controlled substance (heroin). Whitley K. Taylor, 21, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (heroin). Dewayne G. Wells, 49, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (methadone pills). James D. Jones, 22, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (marijuana and prescription drugs). Devin S. Whiteside, 27, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (powder cocaine). Doris E. Williams, 21, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (heroin). Amanda J. Lehenbauer, 21, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (marijuana). Carrie A. Williams, 34, of Hannibal, distribution of marijuana. Tahvece C. Snoddy, 25, of Hannibal, distribution of marijuana. Corey L. Cobb, 18, of Hannibal, distribution of a controlled substance (heroin). Samuel L. Workman, 30, of Quincy, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). Anthony E. Williams, 20, of Hannibal, failure to appear on delivery of cannabis.

Area drug sting nets 29 arrests, $39,000 cash, 10 cars and two jet skis

2012-07-17T13:30:00.001+01:00

Area police arrested 29 people Monday on federal and state felony drug charges and seized about 13 pounds of marijuana, LSD firearms, cocaine, $34,000 in cash and cars and jet skis. A narcotics investigation was initiated by the Indiana State Police, the Logansport Police Department and the Cass County Sheriff’s Department. The Illinois State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana assisted in the investigation, which led to 29 people being arrested on felony drug charges, according to an Indiana State Police press release. Search warrants were issued in Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Howard, Miami, and Tippecanoe counties, in Indiana, and Iroquois and Vermillion counties in Illinois. While serving the multiple warrants, officers seized about 13 pounds of suspected marijuana, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, firearms, a marijuana grow operation with about 200 plants, about 37 grams of suspected cocaine, $34,000 in cash, 10 vehicles, and two jet skis. Those charged locally were George Z. Setser, 37, Logansport, conspiracy to deal cocaine and conspiracy to deal marijuana; Dennis P. Wildrick, 37, Logansport, conspiracy to deal cocaine and conspiracy to deal marijuana; Matt T. Burkett, 38, Logansport, conspiracy to deal cocaine and conspiracy to deal marijuana; Jay D. Howell, 53, Logansport, conspiracy to deal marijuana; Michael Curtis, 52, Logansport, conspiracy to deal marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance; Denise Curtis, 42, Logansport, maintaining a common nuisance and conspiracy to deal marijuana; Kenneth Fox, 44, Logansport, cultivating marijuana and felony possession of marijuana; Patrick Fox, 46, Lake Cicott, dealing and cultivating marijuana; and Rodney Walters, 52, Delphi, was arrested on a felony charge for possession of marijuana and a misdemeanor count for possession of drug paraphernalia. He was not a target in the original investigation, according to police. Others arrested Monday include Charles Flaherty, 50, Lafayette, conspiracy to deal marijuana; Jimmy Marshall, 31, Donovan, conspiracy to deal marijuana and Brandon D. Kinser, 33, Frankfort, conspiracy to deal cocaine and marijuana. Three individuals were also arrested to face state felony charges in Illinois: Ricardo Guardia, 19, Illinois state charge for possession of cannabis; Jaremy Simms, 23, Illinois state charges for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver within a 1,000 feet of a park, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and armed violence; and Wendy Stone, 32, Illinois state charge for possession of cannabis with intent to deliver. Fourteen more people were arrested, but police were not releasing their names yet, according to the release.

Police bust drug network selling Mexican meth in Oklahoma

2012-07-17T13:29:00.001+01:00

Police arrested 17 people on Monday and were looking for 21 more in a crackdown on what they described as a major operation smuggling Mexican-made methamphetamine across the border for sale in central Oklahoma. Mark Woodward, spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, said the drug ring distributed 10 to 12 pounds of methamphetamine valued at up to $200,000 each week in central Oklahoma. The meth was brought across the border by car, he said. Police arrested 17 people and have arrest warrants for 21 more suspects, said Mark Woodward, spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. Undercover officers made a series of drug purchases, including one transaction in which a pound of methamphetamine was bought for $16,000, before state and federal officers with Homeland Security began making arrests, he said. Woodward said police were unsure which Mexican drug cartel manufactured the methamphetamine. In March, police arrested eight suspects in the drug network, including six who were in the United States illegally. Those arrested on Monday were legal residents, many with long-standing ties to Oklahoma, Woodward said. "A lot of them are users themselves who do it to pay for their drug habit," Woodward said.

Drug arrests as people leave Camp Bisco

2012-07-17T13:26:00.001+01:00

Two people are arrested on drug charges on their way home from the Camp Bisco Music Festival. Police say Joshua Dangler, 24, was stopped at a traffic stop where he was found to be acting erratic and seemed to be under the influence of an unknown substance. Troopers searched the car and say they found six ounces of cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, MDMA, and marijuana. Tisha Brice, 19, who was a passenger in the car, was also arrested. Dangler and Brice are being held at the Schenectady County Jail.

Traffic stop yields three drug arrests in Livingston County

2012-07-17T13:25:00.001+01:00

vehicle stop Saturday night has led to drug charges against three people, the Livingston County Sheriff's Office reported Sunday. Arrested and charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony, were Jerry E. Edmister, 49, of Wayland, Donnell F. Lemmon, 32, of Atlanta, N.Y., and Stephanie L. Dean, 22, of Mt. Morris. Authorities said Lemmon was the operator of a vehicle that was pulled over for minor traffic violations at about 8:30 Saturday night at the intersection of Routes 5 and 20 in Lima. A search of the vehicle turned up cocaine, police said. The suspects were arraigned in Avon town court and remanded to the Livingston County Jail. Bail for Lemmon, who was also charged with second-degree criminal contempt of a court order, was set at $15,000. Edmister, who is being held on $5,000 bail, was also charged with one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree promoting prison contraband for allegedly bringing crack cocaine into the jail facility. He was arraigned on that charge in Geneseo. Dean was held on $5,000 cash or $10,000 property bond.

Sixty arrests in Bradford over guns and drugs

2012-07-17T13:24:00.003+01:00

Sixty arrests have been made over gun and drug-related crime in Bradford in the past two weeks. Two sawn-off shotguns, a home-made stun gun and 94 rounds of ammunition were also seized in Operation Sabredale, said West Yorkshire Police. Class A and B drugs with an estimated value of £438,000 were also recovered along with £176,000 in cash. Officers found a suspected counterfeit credit card factory and seized 58 cars, many untaxed or unlicensed. Mohammed Rabnawaz, 25, of Devonshire Terrace, Manningham, appeared at Bradford Crown Court on Friday in connection with the seizure of the two sawn-off shotguns and rounds of ammunition. He has been charged with possession of firearms and ammunition and remanded in custody to await trial. The home-made stun gun was found at an address in Heaton, where a Mercedes and a £60,000 Nissan GTR were also seized. Officers also uncovered the suspected counterfeit credit card factory at an address in Odsal, where drugs were also found. Two men were arrested in connection with that and charged to appear before magistrates, police said.

30 people have now been arrested and charged as part of an ongoing drugs Operation in the Scottish Borders.

2012-07-17T13:24:00.001+01:00

Operation Goal, which launched on Wednesday, July 4, saw officers from all over Lothian and Borders Police carry out a series of raids in Hawick, Kelso, Selkirk, Melrose and Galshiels, following months of evidence gathering into street-level drug dealing. During the first enforcement phase, 25 people were charged with alleged drug offences and appeared in court thanks to the invaluable information officers received from the local communities. Quantities of Class A and B drugs along with cash were also seized during the raids. Between Wednesday 11 and Sunday 15 July, officers carried out more raids at various addresses in Hawick and Galashiels. As a result, two men from Galashiels, aged 50 and 20 and four men from Hawick, aged 39, 29, 57 and 27, have been charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act. All have since made their first appearance in court. Detective Chief Inspector Amanda McGrath said: "When Operation Goal was launched we made a promise to our communities that this was not a one-off occurrence. "We have continued to make good on that promise and utilise the information we receive to identify and bring to justice those involved in drug crime within the Scottish Borders. "Our engagement with local communities is vital in obtaining the information that makes operations like this a success and officers will continue to provide a visible presence throughout the region.

On the surface, he was a small-town high school student, but cops say an Ohio teen was cleaning up as the kingpin of a major marijuana operation - and even his mother was in the dark about it.

2012-07-17T13:23:00.001+01:00

The teen, who has not been identified, had six lieutenants, selling as much as $20,000 of high-grade homegrown marijuana every month to high school students in Mason, Ohio.

Investigators said those who participated in the sophisticated operation were careful not to do business on school grounds where they knew it was riskier.

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Kingpin: the unidentified teen, pictured here, has been described as the leader of a major marijuana ring that brought in about $20,000 per month

And all this before he graduated.

The 17-year-old high school student was the center of a high-grade marijuana distribution ring that operated in two Cincinnati-area schools, the Warren County Drug Task Force said Monday.

A yearlong investigation culminated in the arrest of the teen and seven adults, as well as the seizure of more than 600 hydroponically grown marijuana plants with a street value of around $3million, the agency said.

The student, who was not named by the sheriff's office, will face charges in juvenile court.

Stash: The yearlong probe resulted in the arrest of the teen and seven adults, as well as the seizure of more than 600 hydroponically grown marijuana plants with a street value of around $3million

He had $6,000 in cash in his bedroom closet when officers arrived with a search warrant, sheriff's officials said.

Drug Task Force Commander John Burke said: 'He was selling to six other people who were kind of like his lieutenants.'

'Then they were distributing the drugs to other high school students.'

The juvenile told authorities he was not selling marijuana or conducting his business on the grounds of the high school, according to Hamilton County Prosecutor David Fornshell.

History: Hamilton County Prosecutor David Fornshell, pictured, says the teen, whom he described as highly intelligent, had been dealing drugs since he was at least 15

'There were strict orders not to sell at [the school] because you would get caught and the punishment would be severe,' Fornshell said at a news conference.

He said the 17-year-old, whom he described as highly intelligent, had been dealing drugs since he was at least 15.

Authorities told ABC News that the boy's own mother had no idea about the major drug operation that her son was involved in.

Through him, undercover investigators were able to trace the supply of drugs to three different individuals.

The not-so-magnificent seven: A total of seven adults, as well as their alleged teen kingpin, were arrested in Mason, Ohio

Busted: The teen had $6,000 in cash in his bedroom closet when officers arrived at his Ohio with a search warrant, officials said

Fornshell described the teen as seeming 'like someone who'd be in a church youth group or honour program.'

'He clearly had a high level of intelligence, but it was very misguided,' Fornshell said.

He and the students who worked for him supplied Mason and nearby King high schools, Burke said. Other students who allegedly worked under the teen may eventually be charged also.

The probe netted suspects who allegedly were growing high-grade hydroponic marijuana out of houses in Norwood and Hamilton and a furniture warehouse in Blue Ash, all in the Cincinnati area.

The pot sold for $5,000 a pound, Burke said.

Probe: The arrests were the result of a year-long investigation in to the massive marijuana operation

The adults indicted range in age from 20 to 58. All face multiple charges including possessing, cultivating and trafficking in marijuana.

They were indicted Friday and were still being rounded up Monday, Burke said.

'This is a unique situation where we've been able to start at one level and move up the ladder to the source,' Burke said. 'The case is made even more egregious because it involved juveniles.'

Mason City School Superintendent Gail Kist-Kline said school officials combat drug activity by routinely conducting surprise sweeps, providing programs on drug use and abuse for students and employing a school resource officer.

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The number of Britons arrested overseas is on the rise, official figures have shown.

2012-07-01T14:43:00.001+01:00

The Foreign Office (FO) handled 6,015 arrest cases involving British nationals abroad between April 2011 and March 2012. This was 6% more than in the previous 12 months and included a 2% rise in drug arrests. The figures, which include holidaymakers and Britons resident overseas, showed the highest number of arrests and detentions was in Spain (1,909) followed by the USA (1,305). Spanish arrests rose 9% in 2011/12, while the United States was up 3%. The most arrests of Britons for drugs was in the US (147), followed by Spain (141). The highest percentage of arrests for drugs in 2011/12 was in Peru where there were only 17 arrests in total, although 15 were for drugs. The FO said anecdotal evidence from embassies and consulates overseas suggested many incidents were alcohol-fuelled, particularly in popular holiday destinations such as the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, the Balearics (which include Majorca and Ibiza), Malta and Cyprus. Consular Affairs Minister Jeremy Browne said: "It is important that people understand that taking risks abroad can land them on the wrong side of the law. "The punishments can be very severe, with tougher prison conditions than in the UK. While we will work hard to try and ensure the safety of British nationals abroad, we cannot interfere in another country's legal system. "We find that many people are shocked to discover that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot get them out of jail. We always provide consular support to British nationals in difficulty overseas. However, having a British passport does not make you immune to foreign laws and will not get you special treatment in prison."

shooting a cop dead is now legal in the state of Indiana.

2012-06-12T07:11:00.001+01:00

Governor Mitch Daniels, a Republican, has authorized changes to a 2006 legislation that legalizes the use of deadly force on a public servant — including an officer of the law — in cases of “unlawful intrusion.” Proponents of both the Second and Fourth Amendments — those that allow for the ownership of firearms and the security against unlawful searches, respectively — are celebrating the update by saying it ensures that residents are protected from authorities that abuse the powers of the badge. Others, however, fear that the alleged threat of a police state emergence will be replaced by an all-out warzone in Indiana. Under the latest changes of the so-called Castle Doctrine, state lawmakers agree “people have a right to defend themselves and third parties from physical harm and crime.” Rather than excluding officers of the law, however, any public servant is now subject to be met with deadly force if they unlawfully enter private property without clear justification. “In enacting this section, the general assembly finds and declares that it is the policy of this state to recognize the unique character of a citizen's home and to ensure that a citizen feels secure in his or her own home against unlawful intrusion by another individual or a public servant,” reads the legislation. Although critics have been quick to condemn the law for opening the door for assaults on police officers, supporters say that it is necessary to implement the ideals brought by America’s forefathers. Especially, argue some, since the Indiana Supreme Court almost eliminated the Fourth Amendment entirely last year. During the 2011 case of Barnes v. State of Indiana, the court ruled that a man who assaulted an officer dispatched to his house had broken the law before there was “no right to reasonably resist unlawful entry by police officers.” In turn, the National Rifle Association lobbied for an amendment to the Castle Doctrine to ensure that residents were protected from officers that abuse the law to grant themselves entry into private space. “There are bad legislators,” the law’s author, State Senator R. Michael Young (R) tells Bloomberg News. “There are bad clergy, bad doctors, bad teachers, and it’s these officers that we’re concerned about that when they act outside their scope and duty that the individual ought to have a right to protect themselves.” Governor Daniels agrees with the senator in a statement offered through his office, and notes that the law is only being established to cover rare incidents of police abuse that can escape the system without reprimand for officers or other persons that break the law to gain entry. “In the real world, there will almost never be a situation in which these extremely narrow conditions are met,” Daniels says. “This law is not an invitation to use violence or force against law enforcement officers.” Officers in Indiana aren’t necessarily on the same page, though. “If I pull over a car and I walk up to it and the guy shoots me, he’s going to say, ‘Well, he was trying to illegally enter my property,’” Sergeant Joseph Hubbard tells Bloomberg. “Somebody is going get away with killing a cop because of this law.” “It’s just a recipe for disaster,” Indiana State Fraternal Order of Police President Tim Downs adds. “It just puts a bounty on our heads.”

ON CLOUD NINE: BATH SALTS BY ANOTHER NAME... WITH STRONG COMPULSIONS TO REDOSE

2012-06-08T05:36:00.001+01:00

After the recent stream of disturbing news reports of people eating others' flesh, Hornaday Manufacturing has released bullets that promise to ‘make dead permanent.’

The ammunition, branded as Zombie Max offers Proven Z-Max bullets, is live ammunition, but is actually only intended for use on targets – not people.

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The Walking Dead: Hornady Manufacturing has started selling Zombie bullets, 'just in case'; it is live ammunition

Attacks: Carl Jacquneaux, left, who was arrested for allegedly biting another man's face and Brandon De Leon, right, who allegedly tried to bite two policemen while threatening to eat them

Hornaday spokesman Everett Deger told WWJ Newsradio 950 that the company’s president has a love of zombie culture – including popular shows like the Walking Dead – and was inspired to make the bullets in honour of the cultural phenomenon.

ON CLOUD NINE: BATH SALTS BY ANOTHER NAME... WITH STRONG COMPULSIONS TO REDOSE

The 'bath salts' sold under the name Cloud Nine are likely to be stimulant drugs such MPDV or ephedrine.

'Bath salts' does not refer to a single chemical, but instead to a range of synthetic drugs that can be sold legally in the U.S. as long as they are not marked for human consumption – hence the misleading name.

Drugs such as MPDV are highly potent stimulants, similar to some amphetamines, and in MPDV's case particularly, cause a strong compulsion to 'redose' with more of the drug.

In high doses, such drugs can cause violent and unpredictable behaviour, and terrifying hallucinations – and the compulsion to take more of the drug continues, even once the 'high' has begun to make the user feel bad.

Various different compounds use the name 'Cloud Nine', and it's still not confirmed which exact chemical was in the drug reported to have caused these attacks, but some reports have pointed the finger at MPDV.

The chemical is already illegal in Florida – although other 'bath salts' remain perfectly legal in the state.

‘We decided just to have some fun with a marketing plan that would allow us to create some ammunition designed for that…fictional world,’ he told the radio station.

Mr Deger noted that the bullets are some of the ammunition company’s most popular products.

The news comes as two more cannibal attacks have been reported in the US as police warn of a dangerous new mind-altering drug called Cloud Nine.

Last week Rudy Eugene - who is believed to have taken the over-the-counter ecstasy-like drug - growled at officers as he chewed off most of a homeless man's face before being shot dead by Miami police.

Since then two further incidents have been linked to the substance, which is part of a new line of 'bath salts'.

More...

Revealed: Miami cannibal's girlfriend shows herself in public for the first time and claims her beau was carrying a BIBLE before the attack
Caught on camera: The moment woman driver rams into pedestrian and travels for hundreds of yards with him clinging on 'because of her hormones'
Revealed: The videos 'Canadian cannibal' sent to his 'fans' while on the run from police - and one of them contains infamous song from American Psycho

The second occurred on Saturday when a snarling homeless man, identified as Brandon De Leon, threatened to eat two officers, echoing the Miami attack.

A third incident took place in Louisiana where Carl Jacquneaux, 43, bit off a chunk of his victim's face. Miami police have issued a warning about Cloud Nine and told their officers to exercise extreme caution when dealing with homeless men who appear to be acting unusually.

Police investigating the case of Rudy Eugene, who ate the face off a homeless man, say as well as being naked, he was carrying a bible.

Some pages had been ripped out of the book and were found close by, according to CBS Miami. A preliminary toxicology examination has also found that the 31-year-old had been smoked cannabis shortly before the incident.

They were forced to fit 21-year-old De Leon with a Hannibal Lecter-style mask after he was arrested for disturbing the peace in North Miami Beach. When put in a police cruiser De Leon slammed his head against the plexiglass divider and shouted at officers, 'I'm going to eat you', NBC Miami reported.

He then growled, gnashed his teeth and tried to bite the hand of an officer attempting to treat his head wounds.

'Brandon growled and opened and closed his jaw, slamming his teeth like an animal would,' the report said. Miami police said they believe he was on a cocktail of drugs, including Cloud Nine.

In a second case Carl Jacquneaux, 43, is accused of attacking Todd Credeur at his home in Scott, Louisiana, over the weekend after he became upset following a domestic issue.

Victim: Todd Credeur, though in shock, managed to spray his attacker in the face with wasp spray to stop him from eating any more of his face

Scene: Todd Creneur was attacked while working on the yard outside his home in Scott, Louisiana

KATC reported that Mr Credeur was working in his front yard when he was attacked.

Scott Assistant Police Chief Kert Thomas said: 'During the attack, the suspect bit a chunk of the victim's face off.'

Mr Credeur reportedly managed to spray Jacquneaux in the face with wasp spray to stop him from eating any more of his face.

Jacquneaux then allegedly left the home and went to another man's home where he held him at knife point and stole a hand gun. This is where police found him and arrested him.

A friend of the victim said she believes Jacquneaux was under the influence of Cloud Nine, which is the same drug which is believed to have been taken by the 'Miami Cannibal' Rudy Eugene.

Eugene ate the face of homeless man Ronald Poppo in Miami last week and a police memo to officers has highlighted the dangers surrounding the drug's use.

It warned the De Leon case 'bears resemblance to an incident that occurred in the city of Miami last week, when a male ate another man's face'.

'Please be careful when dealing with the homeless population during your patrols.'

Police have suggested Eugene was under the influence of the synthetic stimulant usually sold in drug paraphanelia shops.

Cloud Nine is 'addictive and dangerous', the memo said, part of a 'disturbing trend in which new drugs are sold in the guise of household products'.

The drug, which is also as Ivory Wave in the U.S., comes in harmless-looking packets, police said, adding that it is illegal in Britain and Australia.

Crazed attack: Cloud Nine, which is the same drug which is believed to have been taken by the 'Miami Cannibal' Rudy Eugene (left) when he savagely attacked 65-year-old Ronald Poppo (right)

The potentially addictive drug stimulates the central nervous system and symptoms include heart palpitations, nausea, hallucinations, paranoia and erratic behaviour.

The series of shocking incidents began on May 26 when a naked Eugene encountered his victim, 65-year-old Ronald Poppo, who was sleeping in the shade on elevated train tracks.

In surveillance footage from the nearby Miami Herald building, Eugene was seen struggling with the naked homeless man, throwing him to the ground and then tearing into his face with his teeth as cars and bicycles sped by.

About 18 minutes into the attack, an officer appeared on the scene and yelled at Eugene to stop, but the 31-year-old just growled at him and continued chewing Poppo’s face.

The officer then opened fire on Eugene, shooting him to death.

Enlarge

Horrific attack: The spot on MacArthur Causeway when a man was killed after chewing the face off a stranger

Disfigured: Poppo, here on a stretcher, miraculously survived the attack, but was left without a nose, mouth or eyes

Poppo remains in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital with his nose, mouth and eyes torn off. He faces months of treatment to rebuild his features and psychological care.

Controversially this week the scene of the attack on Poppo has been Miami added to sites visited by a tourist tour's itinerary.

The famous Miami Mystery & Mayhem: Crime Tour tour led by Miami-Dade College professor Dr Paul George will stop on the road that connects downtown Miami to popular South Beach.

Dr Paul told the South Florida Business Journal: 'Horrible as it was, it is part of our history. Currently, our tour takes us over the causeway right past the site, so this fits well.'

In a completely separate case not involving the drug, Canadian Luka Rocco Magnotta has been sent back to his country from Germany after an international manhunt.

He is alleged to have killed his partner, Jun Lin, before eating parts of his body then chopping it to pieces that were then posted to different authorities. Mr Lun's head has not yet been found.

'ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE': RECENT CANNIBAL ATTACKS ACROSS AMERICA

Since Rudy Eugene attacked and ate the face of homeless man Ronald Poppo on May 26 in Miami, Florida, while allegedly high on 'bath salts' there has been a spate of similar attacks.

The 'Miami Cannibal' case shocked the nation after police had to shoot dead Eugene when he refused to stop eating his victim's face off. Poppo is now recovering in hospital with horrific injuries.

Brandon DeLeon, 21, was high on drugs and drunk on Four Loko on June 2 when he tried to bite off a police officer’s hand after he was arrested for disturbing customers in a Miami fast food restaurant.

The homeless man repeatedly banged his head against the patrol car’s Plexiglas and yelled, ‘I’m going to eat you.’

At the police station, De Leon tried to bite the officer who was taking his blood pressure and tending to his self-inflicted wounds. The police report noted that he 'growled and opened and closed his jaw slamming his teeth like an animal would.'

Carl Jacquneaux, 43, is accused of attacking Todd Credeur at his home in Scott, Louisiana, over the weekend after he became upset following a domestic issue.

Mr Credeur reportedly managed to spray Jacquneaux in the face with wasp spray to stop him from eating any more of his face.

A friend of the victim said she believes Jacquneaux was under the influence of Cloud Nine, which is the same drug which is believed to have been taken by the 'Miami Cannibal' Rudy Eugene.

Alex Kinyua, 21, a college student, used a knife to carve up Kujoe Bonsafo Agyei-Kodie, 37, before eating his heart out and parts of his brain.

He then took to his social networking site to boast about it to his friends saying: 'Are you strong enough to endure ritual HBCU mass human sacrifices around the country and still be able to function as human beings?'

He referred to the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech and 'other past university killings around the country' and warned 'ethnic cleansing is the policy, strategy and tactics that will affect you, directly or indirectly in the coming months.'

Britons could face death over drugs

2012-05-29T07:27:00.001+01:00

A British housewife could face the death penalty after being arrested over a £1.6 million cocaine haul on a tropical island. Lindsay Sandiford, 55, was caught with 4.8kg of the drug stuffed in the lining of a suitcase as she arrived in Bali, according to customs officials. After her arrest on the Indonesian island last week she agreed to take part in a sting operation in which police swooped on four other suspects. Another British woman, two British men and an Indian man were arrested over the huge seizure. The head of Bali's drugs squad said the two British men, identified by the initials BP and JAP, were believed to be senior figures in a major drug-smuggling syndicate. The Australian Associated Press news agency reported that Mulyadi, who goes by one name, said: "It's an international network controlled from abroad." Sandiford, originally from Redcar, Teesside, is thought to have told police that she only agreed to make the smuggling trip because her children in England were being threatened. She was paraded at a press conference alongside the drugs, wearing an orange prison T-shirt and hiding her face from cameras. Masked armed officers in Kuta, a town on the holiday island, flanked her as she was brought into the room and a customs official cut open packages wrapped in brown tape to reveal a white powder. Sandiford, listed on immigration documentation as a housewife, was stopped as she arrived at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok, Thailand, on May 19, customs official Made Wijaya said. Two days after her arrest she was contacted by the second British woman, identified by the initials RLD, at which point a meeting was arranged. Mr Wijaya said at the press conference: "After weighing, the total cocaine is 4.791kg." The drugs have an estimated street value of 23.9 billion Indonesian rupiah (£1.6 million), he said. Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws, and the official said Sandiford was likely to face charges that carry a death penalty. Another 68g of cocaine, 280g of powdered ecstasy and a small amount of hashish were also seized following the arrest of the other gang members at separate locations in Bali, officials said. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the arrest in Bali, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."

Bankia shares are suspended in Madrid

2012-05-25T08:50:00.001+01:00

Trading in shares in the Spanish lender Bankia have been suspended in Madrid. The market regulator CNMV said it was "due to circumstances that may affect the normal share trading". Bankia is reported to be due to ask the government for a bailout of more than 15bn euros ($19bn; £12bn) after a board meeting later on Friday. Bankia, which is Spain's fourth-largest bank, was part-nationalised two weeks ago because of its problems with bad property debt. Any extra government money would be on top of the 4.5bn euros in state loans that the government had to convert into shares in the group in the part-nationalisation process. Shares in Bankia's parent company Banco Financiero y de Ahorros (BFA) have also been suspended. Bankia was created in 2010 from the merger of seven struggling regional savings banks. It holds 32bn euros in distressed property assets.