Popular Posts

Friday, July 22, 2016

Curing Our Coast: ‘We Are Just Trying To Get To The The Head Of The Snake’

BERLIN — The eastbound lane of Route 50 is buzzing with beachgoers as it is on most Friday afternoons in the summertime near Ocean City. Yet, on this day, a small team of undercover officers sit in strategic spots along the busy traffic artery poised and patiently waiting for one vehicle they expect to be passing within the next few minutes. The team believes this vehicle isn’t packed with Boogie boards or beach towels. Rather, it’s transporting heroin. You can feel the adrenaline start to bubble as the encrypted radio line crackles with word that the vehicle is closing in.

“I just crossed over the line,” says the voice. “She’s about a half a mile behind me in the right hand lane approaching fast.”

Two other voices chime in almost inaudible audio bursts on the line. The officers trade off coded language that indicates that all signs seem to point to the assumption that drugs are in the vehicle.

Listening to all of this is the man calling the shots and ultimately will pull the verbal trigger to pursue the vehicle and enact the arrest. He listens intently while his eyes are still locked on the hundreds of cars whizzing by us on Route 50.

“We’re going to keep it as low-key as we can because we only have one shot at this,” says Sgt. Nate Passwaters of the Worcester County Sheriff Department’s Criminal Enforcement Team. “We’ve been watching this person’s spouse for a few weeks, and we are pretty sure that they just made a trip up to Baltimore this morning to get some scramble. It looks like she’s the drug mule today”

More

9 comments:

  1. Please.

    How about expose the criminal US government for its involvement with importing heroin into this country to destroy its people?

    The CIA and military have been doing it since the days of Viet Nam war.

    It was admitted that the CIA brought crack cocaine into the US in the 1980s.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NO you are not trying to get to the head of the snake... The head of the snake is in mexico and our top officials in out govt...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Let's be honest. The statement made by the officer in response to her seemingly altruistic argument, “There are much better and much more legal ways to fight pain mam,” isn't altogether true. Legal, yes, but better? Not really. Heroin matabolizes immediately to morphine, one of, if not the most potent narcotic pain reliever legally available.
    Morphine, too, is extremely addictive, and is strictly regulated by government. Those who have become addicted to morphine (or other narcotic pain relievers, i.e., oxycodone, etc.) turn to heroin in their stead when supplies of those drugs, often previously prescribed by physicians, dry up. The addiction, though, must be fed, and what's relatively cheap and very available is heroin.

    Heroin addiction is a disease, often self-inflicted, one that demands of its addict risk taking that would not usually be seen in most people, including those addicts before the addiction grabbed them, body and mind.

    Law enforcement, at all levels, seems inadequate a solution to overcome the availability of heroin. It is not law enforcement's fault. It is both overwhelmed and under-equipped to truly put a dent in heroin importation and distribution. Law enforcement will never be the full answer. There will never be an answer, unless the poppy plant is eliminated from the face of the Earth. That's not going to happen. It's a big planet with big problems, and this is only one of them.
    The analogy of the snake growing multiple tails is only partially correct. As did the mythical Lernaean Hydra, this snake grows one or more heads when one is cut off. The heads' regeneration is never-ending. And, if by some incredibly remote chance, an entire snake is killed, others will appear from the nest to take its place with scarcely a moment's pause.
    So, what are the solutions?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Another feel good story but in the end they won't be able to do anything to keep it from staying in our area. Bust one dealer and another slides right into his spot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The "head" of the snake is protected by the Two Sets of Laws theorem.
    BANKS launder the money. they are the only ones that can change 100 million dollars of cocaine money into the 32% return on some obscure "investment".
    Politicians write laws to protect them (and get their cut, too). Police escort shipments and protect them from hijackings, Coast Guard commanders are in the wrong (or right) place when the ship rolls through.
    The Senator you love so much, church going and all??? He's getting $10,000 a month to keep bank secrecy laws in place.
    Your neighbor's son, the State police captain? He's getting $20,000 a month to tell Chico if he's being watched.
    The doctor who loves your kids so much??
    HE is getting a $20,000 return a month for financing the monthly meth shipment.
    THAT is who and how it works.
    SO many of the people you know (or think) are so upstanding and pure are going home at night, hitting a few lines or taking a few tokes. They would NEVER let their straight friends know, but they do the same thing that, in the daytime, they rant and rail against it.
    That's the truth. You may not like it. In fact, I'll bet you DON'T like it. Kinda blows your "good guy" , "bad guy" thing to heck, huh?Keep cheering.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 6:05 you are so right. When I worked in Baltimore many, many years ago, one of our lawyers would line up in Northeast Baltimore every morning in her high heels and brief case obtain her heroin with every homeless, destitute, street addict in line with her. We had no clue she was using until she died from an overdose. Then the story unfolded. Heroin addicts dont always look like you think. Your police officers, judges, doctors, lawyers, etc....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. so what did you think she was doing in her high heals and brief case? Didn't you find it odd she was standing their?

      Delete
  7. 8:35 we never witnessed her doing this of course. We had no idea. After her death, at her funeral her roomate told us the story. Not sure how she was informed of her regular presence in that line.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Easier ways to deal with the pain ? With the government crack down on prescription medications for pain it is not easy to get the relief some need. I have severe back pain and if it was not for those meds I would not be able to work and would be living off of the tax payers. However I worry every time I go to the doctors that some new regulation is going to force me out and end up on disability. I prefer to be a productive tax payer. For me and others like me taking these pain meds is no different than someone taking heart medicine or a diabetic needing insulin. Because of the few who abuse them I end up suffering and in constant worry. Just try and get into pain management and see how easy it is.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.