Ecstasy Push Stopped By Customs

[jholmes800]

BLAINE, Wash. - Customs officers seized 157 pounds of the illegal drug Ecstasy Thursday after they found it concealed in a passenger vehicle at the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency says officers found a false compartment in the gas tank of a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban that was entering the U.S. from Canada late in the afternoon.
The compartment contained 23 vacuum-sealed bags containing more than 247,000 Ecstasy pills, with an estimated street value of $5 million.
The vehicle's driver, 38-year-old James Leystra of Vancouver, British Columbia, was arrested for investigation of conspiracy to import a controlled substance.

http://www.koin.com/Global/story.asp...&nav=menu494_2

[Fantasian]

Are ecstasy pills really that expensive in the USA?!?! Really feel for you guys
247,000 = 5 million dollers!!! Guess here in the uk things are a lil bit easier.

[AntiAimer]

Originally Posted by Fantasian

Are ecstasy pills really that expensive in the USA?!?! Really feel for you guys
247,000 = 5 million dollers!!! Guess here in the uk things are a lil bit easier.

Also you gotta remember they make this stuff up, just like with any other substance. They pull out the "estimated" price from then arse. Everywhere the price is differen't just like theres differen't strengths and impurities which would also effect the price. Like with Marijuana, some dinky little crap plant, they would say "could" grow a pound makeing a estimated $1000 or up price, when in reality it wouldn't be anywhere near that. Depending on quality and how much really would come from that one crap plant. They do this, to look good in court. To make the illusion that it's worse then it really is. Also because mandatory sentences for certain crimes to see if it falls in the guide lines, which is also total crap.

Also like other members said, they'll say this and that was bought with drug money or the money they had on them or in the bank is all drug money. Takeing every cent, that the person can't proove was from working a "legitimate" job. Even then, they sometimes will still tkae the money and/or items. Then they may even get them on tax fraud at this point, screwing them over even more. If they find things they didn't file. Anyone with common sense can figure this out, just like statistics...It's BS, based on a select group or whatever.

What im wondering is, what, did they exray the car? Weigh the car? Drug sniffing dogs? Guy was nervous as all hell, sweating his arse off?
To have the suspcision something fishy was going on? Article said nothing about this part. For god's sake it was in a secret department in the gas tank...

[themoors]

I think it is pretty common for the police to over exaggerate the street value of drugs, they do it in the UK all the time. A million dollar pill bust makes for better headlines.

[Sitbcknchill]

Actually the price that they gave was pretty close. Actually its pretty conservative. And no I don't want this to turn into a price discussion topic either. Just do the math.

[MrG]

Trouble is they are likely to do the guy based on these "to street" figures even though it is pretty much unheard of for bulk sellers to stay in the deal all the way down to individual pill sale level.

The "proceeds of crime" penalty which is usually part of the sentencing procedure is also based on end user pricing so the convicted party usually gets every single thing they own taken from them in the misguided belief that they have made millions from dealing. The only people who make millions from illegal drugs are the cartels who can afford their own army. (and the private prison companies of course who get to fill their cells with more profit making, low maintence drug offenders)

[emineo]

Yeah, pretty close. Those numbers are definately within the realm of possibility.

That said, from what I understand, purity has dropped tremendously. Having to consume twice as much volume for only 25% less cost per unit for the same effect is not very good.

This is really having a major impact on some regions and scenes.

But I digress..

There is a rule against listing specific prices to prohibit trading. Check it out.

[musichitsme]

Thats if the guy sold every pill for 20 dollars, which just doesn't happen

[Sitbcknchill]

No one was talking about what the guy made off it or intended to make off of it. The article just stated what the estimated street value of the substance was, which is pretty accurate.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by Sitbcknchill

No one was talking about what the guy made off it or intended to make off of it. The article just stated what the estimated street value of the substance was, which is pretty accurate.

Agreed, to the person above, smurf may have gotten pills at that price (though you shouldn't be discussing that, as it isn't quite in the context of the article) but thats with more quantity. In many parts of the US if you are only going to get one pill, unfortunately, you could definitely pay the price suggested by the article.

I'd say for the average market price for single purchases (which is what it comes down to in the end for the most part by the times its passed hands down to that point) the article is fairly accurate.