U.S. arrests 90 in nationwide synthetic drug crackdown

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. arrests 90 in nationwide synthetic drug crackdown

WASHINGTON | Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:40pm EDT

(Reuters) - Federal agents arrested more than 90 people and seized about 5 million packets of synthetic drugs - known on the street as "bath salts," "K2" and "Spice" - in the first U.S. nationwide crackdown on "designer drugs," the Drug Enforcement Administration said on Thursday.

The DEA said the haul from multi-agency raids in more than 100 U.S. cities included 4.8 million packets of synthetic cannabis, 167,000 packets of "bath salts" and more than $36 million in cash.

Operation Log Jam, which involved the DEA, five federal agencies, state and local police, "has disrupted the entire illegal industry, from manufacturers to retailers," DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart said in a statement.

"Together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we are committed to targeting these new and emerging drugs with every scientific, legislative and investigative tool at our disposal," she said.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/27/us-usa-narcotics-raid-idUSBRE86Q00Z20120727

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Again -- NOT "synthetic cannabis" -- IMITATION cannabis.

And a dangerous imitation at that ...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=38305

[Tom Ripley]

2. Aren't most pharmaceuticals synthetic?

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. Was it called Operation Futile Exercise?

The black market chemists are coming up with new synthetics before they can even get around to banning the old new synthetics.

[Nevernose]

4. You can buy all that shit direct from China

For pennies a pound. In most of the world that stuff is regarded as a nuisance and not bothered with.