Ricky Smith, Thomas John French, and Thomas Yates found guilty of smuggling nearly 4kg of powder containing cocaine into Britain

Ricky Smith, 22-year-old roofer Thomas John French, and Thomas Yates, a 26-year-old carpenter, were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court
The three were found guilty of smuggling nearly 4kg of powder containing cocaine into Britain through the UK-controlled zone in Coquelles, France. The seized drugs had an estimated street value of £542,000 and were found to contain 2.95kgs of 100 per cent pure cocaine, according to investigators.The court heard that French, of Eastfield, Waltham Cross, was stopped by HM Revenue & Customs officers on the November 27 2006. French told officers that he had been to Calais to buy beer and wine for Christmas. On searching the vehicle, officers found a number of mixed cases of beer and soft drinks and hidden within two of the cases of beer they found three taped packages. The contents of the packages were initially field tested and later forensically analysed showing them to contain cocaine, the court was told.Further investigation and evidence showed Yates, of Monks Closes in Broxbourne, and Smith of Windsor Drive on Sele Farm, to be implicated in the importation. They had travelled independently to Calais via the ferry from Dover, meeting French there and returning to the UK via the Channel Tunnel at the same time.Yates has since absconded and a European Arrest Warrant has been issued for his arrest. He was sentenced in his absence.On sentencing, Judge Adele Williams said: "Cocaine is a dangerous and pernicious drug causing harm to young people and whilst taking account of previous good characters, the sentences imposed match the crime."The case was prosecuted by the Revenue & Customs Prosecutions Office. Smith was sentenced to 12 years, French 10 years and Yates 12 years. Afterwards, Stephen Clement of HM Revenue & Customs, said: "The sentence handed down by the court today will act as a deterrent to those involved in drug trafficking and clearly shows that crime doesn't pay."

Miami-Dade police officer Michael Anthony King, 42,charged with aiding and abetting the distribution of powder and crack cocaine.

Miami-Dade police officer Michael Anthony King, 42, was charged by the state with illegal gambling and charged by the feds for aiding and abetting the distribution of powder and crack cocaine. King is a 19-year veteran officer.Police also arrested 27-year veteran Antonio L. Roberts.In a two-year joint federal and state investigation, police collected hard evidence against the accused. Police said in the end they were able to arrest 36 individuals from two separate gangs, a cocaine distribution ring and a gambling ring, including police officers and former county corrections officer Marvin “Cone Head” Coney.Prosecutors presented a still photograph from a police tape of what they say shows evidence of King paying off gambling winnings.“You can see the car…you can see him,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said. ”And there’s a payoff from vehicle to vehicle. “Coney’s father James Coney said Roberts and his son are friends and grew up together.U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta said the officers involved in the cocaine distribution ring used their positions as police officers to assist Coney and others in avoiding arrest and successfully conducting a lucrative narcotics trafficking business throughout the Liberty City area.“During that call, officer King actually held up the phone to the police radio so defendant Coney could hear the dispatch calls related to the tactical narcotics team operation,” Acosta saidInvestigators are shocked by the officer’s arrest.“Veterans of such experience basically turned on their own colleagues and risked the lives of fellow police officers,” Acosta said.The feds also arrested Ricardo Munoz, who they said is the head of the drug gang.If convicted, those arrested could face sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment.

Officer Clay Adams and his wife are accused of operating a marijuana grow house

Officer Clay Adams, a nine-year veteran and former member of the department's drug task force, was arrested by DEA and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents when he went to work Monday night. Adams and his wife are accused of operating a marijuana grow house that supplied pot to distributors in Tallahassee, as well as dealing in illicit prescription drugs. Adams is also accused of possessing weapons and explosives. The pair went down after a person Adams recruited to work in the operation turned out to be a snitch. Adams and his wife were jailed pending a hearing today.Officer Clay Adams and his wife were arrested by federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Monday night on drugs and weapons charges.Adams was arrested when he arrived to work for his shift Monday night. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Bodnar said most of the evidence in this case comes from audio and videotapes revealing conversations with Adams as he attempted to recruit a confidential government informant into an operation to grow and sell marijuana."Well it is very troubling, but right now the case is in a complaint stage, we anticipate going before the grand jury in the near future," Bodnar said.The 36-year-old officer served for nine years in Altamonte Springs and was promoted three times, but was suspended after his arrest.
His wife is accused of ordering marijuana seeds from the Netherlands using her home computer.The arrest affidavit reported that Adams and his wife ran a marijuana grow house, supplying distributors in Tallahassee and are also accused of dealing in illicit prescription drugs.Adams is also accused of possession of weapons and explosives."To be very honest, I’m extremely disappointed in this whole situation. I’m very upset and we work very, very hard to try to build a reputation in the community, only to have it brought down by the careless actions of Officer Adams is inexcusable," Altamonte Springs Chief Robert Merchant said.The Altamonte Springs Chief of Police and the Seminole County Sheriff also attended the conference.
The affidavit reported Adams threatened to kill a Seminole County deputy who filed a complaint of poor performance that resulted in Adams' termination from a Seminole County drug task force.It was reported that Adams told the police informant that after the situation calmed down, he would "take the supervisor out, using a high-powered rifle and a silencer.""Threats have been made by both of the defendants in this case, regarding the safety of a confidential informant and others involved in the investigation," Bodnar said.It was also reported that Adams provided weapons to the police informant who was also a convicted felon and gave that informant information about the names, vehicles and techniques of undercover drug agents."I think the public should have trust in the fact that law enforcement has done the right thing here and caught someone that we believe is involved in a criminal enterprise, we still have to prove it of course, but they’ve done their best to remove someone who is a threat to the community off the street," Bodnar said.
Altamonte Springs Chief released Adam’s personnel record showing that while no formal punishments were issued, there were several accounts of citizen complaints stating Adams was rude and disrespectful.Adams and his wife will remain in federal custody in jail until Friday at the least. Friday is when both the officer and his wife have another court hearing at the Federal Court House to argue for their release.Altamonte police will investigate all cases involving Adams in the nine years he served on the Altamonte police force to ensure no cases were compromised.

Rodrigo Fiuza, a Brazilian national of Mile End Road, was arrested following an intelligence-led operation.

Rodrigo Fiuza, a Brazilian national of Mile End Road, was arrested following an intelligence-led operation.He was charged in relation to a Class A controlled drug and being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of goods.Fiuza was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 15 July.
He has also been recommended for deportation on completion of his sentence.
The estimated street value of the Class A drug found within small statues in a steel drum in a shipment of airfrieght from Brazil in February, was £1,199,560.A search of Fiuza's garage and house revealed a further steel drum containing electronic scales, a large number of mobile phones and a pseudo reference required by HM Revenue and Customs for non-VAT registered traders to import goods from abroad.Further investigations revealed that there had been at least four previous importations by the same organization between February 2005 and October 2007.Detective Inspector Gary Townsend said: "This operation is a great example of how law enforcement agencies in the UK are working together to tackle the trafficking of Class A drugs impacting London's communities."This should act as a deterrent to anyone who believes they can get away with importing drugs in this way."

James Munro, a border guard employed by the Canadian Border Services Agency who worked at Quebec's Lacolle border crossing arrested

James Munro was the only CBSA employee arrested in an investigation that centred on an attempt by people based in Montreal and New Brunswick to smuggle 500 kilograms of Colombian cocaine into Canada. Munro appeared in court Friday in St. Jean sur Richelieu, Que., for a bail hearing. He will learn on Tuesday if he is to be released while he faces eight criminal charges.Court documents filed in the United States about a drug trafficking ring that was recently broken up in Montreal suggest the ring had more than one Canadian border guard within its fold.On Thursday, the RCMP announced the arrests of seven people, including James Munro, a 26-year-old border guard employed by the Canadian Border Services Agency who worked at Quebec's Lacolle border crossing.Two Quebecers who allegedly took part in the conspiracy were arrested in Florida on Tuesday and charged with bringing 25,000 MDMA, or ecstasy, pills into the U.S. as part of a deal made with an undercover FBI agent.
The two men - alleged ringleader Sylvain Levert, 41, of Chambly, and Serge (Frenchy) Desilets, 54, of Maniwaki - were charged in U.S. District Court in Florida. Affidavits filed in their cases suggest the pair counted on the co-operation of more than one customs agent to smuggle drugs in and out of Canada.The two are suspected of conspiring to smuggle drugs - including marijuana and ecstasy - into the United States in exchange for cocaine smuggled into Canada. According to one affidavit, Desilets was introduced to the undercover agent in May 2007, after a Florida man caught with 11 kilograms of marijuana decided to co-operate with authorities by revealing his supplier. By Aug. 7, 2007, Desilets told the undercover agent he felt comfortable enough to do business with him and was willing to sell him large quantities of hydroponic marijuana grown in Canada.In one of several references in the affidavit to Desilets or Levert claiming to control border agents, Desilets allegedly told the agent last summer "he could get people into and out of Canada without their having to pass through customs."During their first face-to-face meeting in Vermont on Oct. 11, 2007, the undercover agent and Desilets discussed trading more than 400 kilograms of marijuana grown in Canada for 150 kilograms of cocaine from the U.S.During the meeting: "Desilets advised that his organization utilizes a customs border agent to assist their smuggling operation," according to the affidavit.Five days later, Desilets wanted to renegotiate the ratio of drugs to be traded with the undercover agent. According to the affidavit, during the same conversation: "They also discussed the corrupt customs border official in New Brunswick." The "border official" in question is not named in the court document.
During Thursday's news conference, RCMP Staff Sgt. Andre Potvin would only say it is possible other border agents would be investigated. On Friday RCMP Cpl. Elaine Lavergne repeated Potvin's comment, but noted no charges have been filed against other CBSA personnel.