DEA Operation High Step Seizes Heroin-Laced Artwork

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Title: DEA Operation High Step Seizes Heroin-Laced Artwork

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DEA Operation High Step Seizes Heroin-Laced Artwork

Copyright 2005 DeepDiscountPharmacy.net

Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator P.

Tandy announced on November 30th the results of Operation

High Step, a multi-national investigation led by the DEA

which targeted a major drug trafficking organization (DTO)

that brought heroin from Colombia to Boston, New York,

Chicago and Orlando. Operation High Step was a joint

investigation between the DEA and Colombian National Police.

The drug trafficking organization brought down by Operation

High Step relied on a sophisticated method of heroin

trafficking into the United States. The traffickers

concealed bricks of heroin inside the porcelain frames of

paintings, which drug dealers shattered to retrieve the

drugs for sale. Heroin was also smuggled into the U.S. by

concealing shipments in shoes, furniture and clothing. They

sewed heroin into the lining of clothing and the soles of

shoes, then shipped these items across U.S. borders.

The year long investigation has resulted in the arrest of

78 individuals, the seizure of 78 kilograms of heroin, 39

kilograms of cocaine, $1.4 million in cash and 20 weapons.

The investigation targeted every level of the DTO, from the

Colombian source of supply to the wholesales distributors

and retail dealers.

This organization was responsible for smuggling 25

kilograms of heroin into the United States per month. This

powerful DTO was consistently obtaining multi-kilogram

quantities of heroin from a lab near the Pereira, Colombia

area and coordinating the smuggling of heroin to American

cities. Following wholesale distribution in those cities,

the DTO would electronically transfer the ill-gotten

proceeds back to Colombia through wire transfers.

Details of the drug trafficking organization’s financial

operations were revealed by the DEA. A kilogram of heroin

purchased for $8000 in Colombia would sell for $55,000 in

American cities. It would then be separated into 25000

glassine packets which sold for $10 each. The heroin

seizure was worth over $12 million on the street.

Operation High Step resulted in 19 arrests in Colombia,

including the leaders of this organization, Alberto

Bejarano-Ospina and Gonzalo Salazar-Oliveros, based on

indictments issued by the United States Attorney’s Offices

in the Eastern District of New York, Southern District of

New York, Northern District of Illinois, and the District

of Massachusetts, charging them with distribution of and

conspiracy to distribute heroin. The arrested individuals

are now subject to extradition to the United States.

“Behind the allure of artwork lurked the poison of heroin, "

said DEA Administrator P. Tandy. “Heroin promises

anything but beauty -- forcing addiction, pain, and

devastation on its users. ‘Operation High Step’ shows that

traffickers are working hard to get their poison onto our

streets, but DEA is relentless in keeping it where it

belongs: out of the picture.”

About the Author:

Hayden is owner of http://www.onlinepharmacyzone.com

and http://www.buybutalbital.net . He has written a series

of articles on health, medicine and pharmacy issues.