USA - Feds shut down DMT lab

[N0ly]

Four men were arrested this morning as federal drug agents busted a South Buffalo laboratory where a potent psychedelic drug known as dimethyltryptamine — or DMT — was being manufactured illegally.

The clandestine drug lab was believed to have been operated for at least the past six months in a house on Fredro Street, in the Clinton-Bailey area, said Dale Kasprzyk, a Buffalo supervisor of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

"To our knowledge, this is the first DMT lab busted in Western New York, and only the third ever in New York state," Kasprzyk said. "DMT is a drug that is just beginning to emerge in this area."

Arrested on felony drug conspiracy charges were:

• Leigh Korbel, 26, of South Hedley Street, Cheektowaga. He was described by agents as the "chemist" who made the DMT.

• David Romanczak, 25, whose Fredro Street residence hosted the lab.

• Nicholas Riordan, 21, and Britton Haima, 22, both of Maelou Drive, Hamburg, alleged sellers of the drug.

DEA agents worked on the investigation with Cheektowaga Police, Buffalo Police and the New York State Police, Kasprzyk said.

More detailed information will be released by the U.S. Attorney's office at federal court later today, the agent said.

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/498706.html

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Thanks for the news.
	damn, you beat me to posting...
	This is really sad. Buffalo is my home town. I know people who may be affected by this situation.
	Very good post.

[snapper]

Hmm. SWIM wonders if the chemist was extracting it or actually making it. SWIM bets on the latter and the "dealers" were probably small time. DMT isn't exactly a popular street drug...
Good thing for those weekend MHRB extractors to keep in mind. They can become the king-pin of a drug lab in the eyes of the media and the law very easily..

[radiometer]

DMT is a drug that is just beginning to emerge in this area.

Yup. Brand-new. Pretty soon, everyone will be smoking it!

[gardis]

I know that DMT was protected by the first amendment for some church in Nevada or something. Wonder if they will be protected if they claim that religion or if it'll be a big no no cause they were actually making it.

[fiveleggedrat]

Originally Posted by gardis

I know that DMT was protected by the first amendment for some church in Nevada or something. Wonder if they will be protected if they claim that religion or if it'll be a big no no cause they were actually making it.

Nah, that's not DMT, but traditional shamanic DMT containing plants in general. Pure DMT is highly illegal.

Jeeze. It won't be long till an embargo on DMT plants too. Good thing there's like a million of em!

[entheogensmurf]

Busting DMT producers...
They are true heroes.

You know, those damn DMT addicts, always breaking into houses and cars to feed their habit.
I feel safer now. Thank you DEA!

I'm not a fan of the chemicals that they may have been pouring down the drain, provided they were using one of the primary methods that I'm familiar with. Heh, not that I like what the average household dumps down the drain anyways.

[Potter]

Really wonder if the rest of the local cult is going to come under scrutiny because of this. Some of the priests, like a lot of DMT artists, aren't exactly subtle about what they do.

[helikophis]

It just doesn't make sense. A totally safe, completely harmless substance like DMT is highly illegal. The DMT users I have dreamed about have all been weirdos, but good weirdos. They aren't criminals, except for in the light of oppressive "drug" legislation. DMT users don't go into psychotic rage, they don't steal to support a habit, and it's not really possible to operate heavy machinery or really cause any sort of mischief under its influence. Generally I have dreamed that DMT _makes life better_, not worse. People are happier and better adjusted after it. It drives people to artistic expression, and increases their interest in spirituality and being good. I would like to know one reason why it is illegal.

Meanwhile hundreds of people leave downtown Buffalo bars every night and drive out to the suburbs wasted on alcohol, and the police do _nothing_. I lived in one of the bar districts in Buffalo for years, and saw it happen over and over again. The police just sit in their cars and watch it happen. Never once did I see a police officer do anything to stop a drunk person from getting in their car and driving.

I can tell these people are too drunk to drive, why can't the cops? My grandfather was a police captain in this same district, and he told me the answer: it would be bad for business. It's the same reason they don't give parking tickets to the bar patrons. Liquor license sales and sales taxes are more important to local governments than the safety of the citizenry.

In the same place, right across the street from where the police take their breaks, people are selling crack cocaine and homeless women are selling sex. There are real dangers, and people who really need help, and the government ignores them: they are too busy worrying about selling more liquor licenses.

Sorry this post got a bit off-topic and perhaps not very productive. I am just so ashamed of people. Why are my loved ones made criminals, while real dangers are ignored? What can we do about it? How do we overcome ignorance about these things? *sigh*

Reputation Comments on this post:

sad but true.. one day

[Quantum Dude]

DMT synthesis is a real bitch, even on a small scale, and its real hard to get access on cheap bulk precursors.

Swim dont know about the actual scale of this "manufacture" but its pretty safe to assume it was basically a large scale extraction lab.

[Evil GIR]

The problem with DMT users is that they generally nice people who can think for themselves, cant be blagged by the propaganda machine, they Dont trust the goverment and are less likely to be sheep.

In the goverments eyes theses are very dangerous people as they cant be controlled by the man and generaly will tell the goverment where to go if they try to send em to war and shit.

[GreatBritton]

The 'chemist' was extracting it... The DEA did the absolute worst investigation into this ever. The Nicholas Riordan was not living at my house, and when they raided me, they hand-cuffed my little sister out of bed and kicked the shit out of my dad, and I wasn't even living there anymore! They found nothing at my house besides 2 sugar cubes, and less than a gram of weed, which were both my brothers. You guys are right, DMT users are rather nice people, none of my friends would ever rod or harm anybody... I was never a seller of the drug, I just knew how to obtain it, and the ONLY person I got it for, just so happened to be working with the cops because he obviously got caught with something after being in jail, and had to take down someone, which just so happened to be one of his childood friends (the scumbag...why did I let him into my life...) The 'lab' was not even a lab at all... The operation was not even big, if you can call it an operation at all... True, I never should have gotten involved in this, but it was nothing at all what anyone made of it...

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Thank you for this information. Please let us know more about this situation.
	Thanks for sharing, please keep us updated. Best of luck

[Alfa]

What is the status of this case? What do you expect will happen?

[Potter]

In this city, it's going to be a while before anyone knows, courts aren't exactly efficient around here. No one in the local cult is connected with these guys. Found This document with some more details on the raid, but that's all. Maybe nobody will ask around later today and see if there's any word on the street, but it seems unlikely.

[helikophis]

Wow, this is an amazingly small-scale operation, when you look at it. They manage to make it sound like such a big deal. Honestly, a crock pot and five pounds of leaves? Doesn't really sound like a "clandestine laboratory" to me.

[cra$h]

of course the media's going to make it seem like they had a whole building, filled with unwilling workers producing enough of a drug to kill thousands. Places are always getting busted though, and the main thing swim cares about is why? Where did they slip up?