drug dealers are resourceful/creative: Part II

It's been a while since I've posted any interesting drug smuggling busts here at tier 1 but thats only because the DEA hasn't found any worth mentioning. You see the DEA releases a monthly collection of never seen before smuggling tactics and/or new drugs and usages. So finally this last month they busted some guy trying to bring 192 Churros stuffed with Cocaine. And I thought, 'there you go, that's worth a post'.

COCAINE SMUGGLED IN “CHURROS” (“SPANISH DOUGHNUTS”)
AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Photo 9

The DEA Northeast Laboratory (New York, New York) recently received a submission of 192 “Churros,” each containing a plastic-wrapped cylinder of an off-white powder, suspected cocaine (see Photo 9). The exhibits were seized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel from mail arriving at JFK International Airport (New York) on a flight from Guyana. Each individual “Churro” was approximately 3.0 inches long by 0.75 inch in diameter. Analysis of the powder (total net mass 1.15 kilograms) by GC/FID, GC/MS, and FTIR/ATR confirmed 82.2% cocaine hydrochloride, adulterated with levamisole (not quantitated). This was the first submission of “Churros” (or of any type of fried food) being used as a concealment technique to the Northeast Laboratory.

[Editor’s Notes: “Churros” (sometimes called “Spanish doughnuts”) are fried-dough pastries.]

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I love the DEA's note that explains the Churro. Great.

drug dealers are resourceful/creative

Heroin in Moon Pies? tasty

who would have thought to smuggle heroin discs inside of moon pies? Drug dealers thats who! they never cease to impress.

The DEA Northeast Laboratory (New York, New York) recently received 24 individually packaged, chocolate “moon pies,” four of which appeared to be genuine, and 20 of which instead contained a chocolate covered, wrapped disk of compressed tan powder, suspected heroin (see Photo 5). The exhibits were seized by DEA Strike Force personnel in New York (origin and seizure details sensitive). The disks (3.0 x 0.25 inches) were successively wrapped in black tape, carbon paper, aluminum foil, and green plastic, then coated with chocolate. Analysis of the compressed powder (total net mass 695.0 grams) by FTIR-ATR, GC/MS, GC/FID, and FT-NMR confirmed 67.8 percent heroin hydrochloride, adulterated with thiamine (salt form undetermined, not quantitated). This was the first such submission to the Northeast Laboratory.