Drug Stuffed Puppies Found in Bust (Heroin)

[leftchick]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/01/national/main1270673.shtml

(CBS) Drug-smuggling puppies stuffed with heroin were discovered after the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency busted a drug ring, the agency's New York division announced Tuesday.

The DEA said 22 Colombian nationals were arrested for smuggling 20 kilograms of heroin into the United States. The smugglers, the DEA said, used both human and animal couriers or "swallowers" to bring heroin into the country.

The street value of the heroin totals nearly $20 million, a DEA spokesperson told CBS News.com, adding that all arrests were made in Colombia, except for one in North Carolina.

Six pure-bred puppies were found with a total of three kilograms of liquid heroin packets inside them, according to the DEA. David Ausiello, a spokesman with the agency, told CBS News.com that the packets were surgically implanted into the dogs in Colombia, then removed once inside the United States.



Puppies found after DEA agents arrested 21 people in Colombia charged with smuggling heroin into the United States. The agents found dogs with surgically-implanted liquid heroin packets inside them, the agency announced Feb. 1, 2006. (Drug Enforcement Agency)

[Greeby]

1. Scumbags

:grr:

[derby378]

2. Y'know, it's one thing if humans VOLUNTEER to be moles...

...but this is just sick on so many levels.

[newscott]

3. Mules?

[derby378]

28. Yes, mules... *sigh*

Yours truly regrets the screw-up.

[flvegan]

4. Wonder what happens to the puppies AFTER a successful smuggle.

The "surgical removal" is probably fatal as well.

[Beaverhausen]

10. oh oh oh - I don't even want to think about it

I'm sure the smugglers have no concern for these puppies' health or well-being.

:cry:

[dysfunctional press]

30. when the scalpel is a rusty machete-

not too many make it to post-op...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. Those are Drug Labs!

Can they bust them on that as well?

[High Plains]

9. Ouch. n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. Good one!

:thumbsup: :spray:

[maxsolomon]

6. combines my 2 favorite things:

puppies & opiates!

salute, ingenious drug smugglers!

that war on drugs sure is working out great!

[Auntie Bush]

7. Right! Just as good as the Iraq war and spreading freedom...

and Democracy to all those terrorists.

[wordpix2]

8. how sick these drug smugglers are and what cute puppies!!!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. My brain kept telling me that it must say poppies not puppies

Not that that made much more sense but it was less offensive.

Poor pups, I hope they find loving homes for them.

[sofa king]

13. Proposed puppy names: Smack, Horse, Speedball, Tecata, and Nixon.

"Nixon" being an apparent street term for low-quality heroin, something I didn't know before consulting this page.

[Auntie Bush]

14. You forgot George and/or Bushy. I go for the latter.

[0007]

15. Sick.

Sounds like they had inside help to bust these folks.

[seafan]

16. New York-bound puppies used as drug smugglers, feds say

By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer

February 1, 2006, 5:21 PM EST

NEW YORK -- A twisted crew of Colombian drug dealers turned purebred puppies into cuddly drug couriers by surgically implanting them with packets of liquid heroin, federal authorities said Wednesday.

Ten puppies, including Labrador retrievers, were rescued during a 2005 raid on a farm in Colombia, the Drug Enforcement Administration said while announcing recent arrests in the two-year investigation.

A local veterinarian had stitched 14 packets containing about 3 kilograms of heroin _ worth roughly $200,000 wholesale _ into the bellies of six pups. Three of the doggies later died from infection after the drugs were removed.

The surviving dogs "are still alive and well, we're told," said John P. Gilbride, head of the DEA's New York office.

DEA investigators said they believe the drug ring, based in Medellin, Colombia, used the puppies and other methods to conceal millions of dollars in heroin on commercial flights into New York City for distribution throughout the East Coast.

It was unclear how many dogs were used in the scheme, nor did investigators know their fate once they arrived on U.S. soil, Gilbride said.

snip

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--puppydrugsmuggler0201feb01,0,132432.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

17. probably just planning to kill each puppy and cut the drugs out

I'l bet they do it with Humans al the time...these people have no respect for life.

[seafan]

19. More from Newsday

The puppy implants were the traffickers' inhumane take on the common practice of paying people to swallow dozens of drug-packed pellets made with condoms or latex glove fingers wrapped in tape. The couriers, called "swallowers," then take flights to U.S. cities, where they expel the drugs by going to the bathroom.

snip

Authorities said swallowers _ who risk fatal overdoses if the pellets rupture in their stomachs _ also were part of the heroin operation. Drugs also were concealed in body creams and aerosol cans and were sewn into the linings of purses and luggage.

Recent raids in Colombia resulted in more than 20 arrests; another 10 suspects were in custody in New York, Florida and North Carolina. About 24 kilograms of heroin was seized.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--puppydrugsmuggler0201feb01,0,132432.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

[benburch]

18. None of them would have lived.

Wow! I am almost certain they did not live to become pets after they got here as the stitches would have been obvious to any veterinarian.

[dysfunctional press]

29. yeah- i doubt the smack is removed "surgically"...

unless you consider a machete to be the equivalent of a scalpel.

[Megahurtz]

20. Wow That's Sick.

:puke:

[Raine]

21. DISGUSTING

slimeballs, I hope someone implants something into them someday! :mad:

[SOS]

22. They don't have these problems in Switzerland

They medicalized opiate addiction years ago.
How many people (and now animals) have to suffer for America's idiotic War on Drugs?

[Robb]

23. Purebred labs, not cheap

Ach. Wrong on so many levels.

The pragmatist in me hopes to heaven they would've planned to sell the pups, too. :(

[Greylyn58]

24. I just read this story on CNN

and it made me sick. These people are scum. Isn't enough that we are evil and cruel to each...now these bastards are using these "babies" to ferret their poison into the country.

Damn!!! :cry:

[Rageneau]

25. I imagine these puppies will all be locked up for life now.

[High Plains]

26. Yeah, long mandatory minimum sentences even though they

are hapless "mules." Unless they agree to testify against their mothers--those bitches!--and become confidential informants. At least that's how it goes with humans.

[LeftyMom]

27. Good thing the drug war's working, isn't it?

Can't we at least limit the damage to own own stupid species? :grr:

[ShadesOfGrey]

35. Well said. I agree!

Another way (of many) that we're exploiting man's best friend. Grrrr...

[JohnLocke]

31. Sick.

Horrifying. Unbelievable.

"Express Train to Hell" --Eddie Murphy

[and-justice-for-all]

32. I would take one in....

Their adorable....I dot think the DEA would put the dogs down for this. Look at them, their beautiful Retrievers.

Those fucks also need to be charged for Animal Cruelty...Come get'em PETA!!

[fushuugi]

33. those 'street value' numbers seem to be a little more than inflated....

to be expected i suppose. they have to make it sound as if this is a grandiose victory.
as a side note none of the puppies collars had the address of the cia on them did they?

[noonwitch]

34. Poor puppies

What a bunch of sick-ass drug smugglers.

[President Kerry]

36. dupe..

[President Kerry]

37. my god

hope they get every one of those evil slimeballs - and they promptly get the rectal treatment in jail they so richly deserve. That's too much for the words

[Auntie Bush]

38. I'll probably get flamed but...ALL those in our country that buy/use

that stuff and make those filthy scumbags rich are equally as guilty. Next time someone takes this stuff they should realize they are responsible (in a way) for those puppies deaths. They wouldn't be bringing drugs to our country if "WE" weren't using them. USERS are guilty too and I have no sympathy for them! They are fools. :puke: on every seller and user.

Would you buy something from someone if you knew they were going to use money to do medical experiments on children? I frankly see no difference. I'm sorry but I'm so angry my blood boils.

[gulliver]

39. That's despicable. They should have used cats.

Kidding cat people... Don't flame me. I have two cats myself, neither muling heroin.

[Blue_Roses]

40. scumbags

:mad: