Anybody hear about the drug bust?

[Ships R Great]

It seems 52 people were arrested after debgarking from a Carnival ship. They bought the drugs in Jamaica. They were arrested in Tampa. That is all the blurb on TV said.

[Bunkie103]

I think it's a fairly common thing. People refuse to believe they could get caught. We saw the DEA on the pier in Miami when we were getting off the Triumph last year. :rolleyes:

[tef43]

This happens all the time. Media coverage is really dependant on whether it is a "slow news day" or not.

[matchman]

Yep happens all the time, I was on the Conquest in July and some fool decided to try his luck at importing dope, as we walked of the ship and a dog came around the guy tried to throw the stuff and the Customs jumped on him and dragged him away, thankfully I was a few people back as they then grabbed the people around him and took them away to interview. Also had a guy on the cruise have his 8 year old try to bring it on the ship in Jamaica, packed it in the kids water bottle and it showed up on the xray. Needless to say he spent the rest of the trip in the brig. (Not sure what some people are thinking what a way to end your cruise.)

[GoinCruisin]

We were delayed from disembarking last year due to a "drug situation" as well... I think it is more common for it NOT to happen!! LOL!

[cruise182]

"oohh mmyy"

[DreadPirateRobert]

Drugs, in Jamaica? Who'd have thought......?

[cruiserlisa]

I saw the news where they busted about 40 people in a housing project in Tampa. All they said about the cruise ship was that there were people busted for drugs who had been in Jamaica. Didn't mention which Cruiseline or ship.

 

Lisa :cool:

[LSUtraveler]

I wonder if they wore jeans to the formal night!!!??:p

[Paladin]

This is a picture of some happy Carnival cruisers after they disembarked from the Conquest in Montego Bay, Jamaica last January. The four men and two women were presented with nice bracelets before being escorted from the ship and loaded into the car and the truck by the local welcoming committee. The committee included what appears to be a school crossing guard in the orange vest and possibly an older Boy Scout in the brown uniform. The safety minded man in the blue shirt is making sure their new guests have their seat belts on after getting into the car. The other gentleman in a blue shirt is holding one of the "carry on items" one of the passengers had with them. The rest of their luggage was courteously placed in the back of the truck so it could be properly claimed when the passengers reached their final destination.

 

Apparently they had attempted to return to the U.S. with 80 pounds of locally grown agricultural products. For their efforts, they were probably presented with a voucher that entitled them to extend their vacation by another 20 years or so and 10% off on their next Carnival cruise.

[madelinerose]

Drugs, in Jamaica? Who'd have thought......?

ROFL!!! :D :D :D

[madelinerose]

I wonder if they wore jeans to the formal night!!!??:p

SECOND TIME ROFL!!! :D :D :D

[madelinerose]

OK, you have to stop, everyone!!!!

 

THIRD TIME for Paladin - great post!!!! ROFL Again!!! ;)

[Codfish]

I wonder if they wore jeans to the formal night!!!??:p

 

I heard they wore a tux made from hemp. :D

[sls]

From The Pensacola News Journal "The drugs were shipped from Honduras to Jamaica and then taken to New Orleans aboard Carnival cruise ships (Conquest only one out of NO that goes to Jamaica) before being driven to Tampa.".."The operation took almost 6 months..."

people weren't arrested leaving the cruise ship but after a raid at public housing community.

 

 

sls

[hdawson]

Stupid is as stupid does.

[halos]

Stupid is as stupid does.

 

Life is like a box of chocolates.

[cjar855]

Here is some of the story:

 

Police Make Record Drug Bust

TAMPA - Working with federal authorities, Tampa police executed their largest drug crackdown in department history Friday, arresting about 60 people alleged to be part of a multimillion-dollar cocaine network stretching from Nicaragua to a public housing complex in downtown Tampa.

 

 

The network delivered about 10 pounds of the drug, with a street value of $450,000, into Tampa each month for the past two years, narcotics Sgt. Ken Morman said. Most of the drugs were housed and sold at the 28-acre Central Park Village housing complex, roughly 800 feet from the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

 

``It took them years to establish this,'' said narcotics Capt. Marion Lewis. ``It will be very difficult for them to rebuild.''

 

The trafficking began in Nicaragua, where police have identified a key figure, Lewis said. From there, the drugs were transported to Jamaica.

 

Three crew members aboard a Carnival Cruise Lines ship then would smuggle the drugs from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to the ship's port of New Orleans, police said. Two Jamaican couriers, one of whom was caught in the United States on Friday and one awaiting extradition, transported the drugs to midlevel and street-level distributors in Tampa and Miami, authorities said.

 

Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the company is cooperating with investigators. All employees undergo background checks before they are hired, he said. Complaints from residents spurred the investigation, which began about six months ago with a $10 undercover street buy, Lewis said. It took about three months to coordinate wire intercepts and surveillance and identify key figures, he said.

[hilltopfamily]

Wow! The plot thickens! 3 crew members involved. uh-oh.

[CruiseFever]

I saw this same story on CNN tonight. They just said "cruise lines" though, not Carnival.

[kristikae]

I can see how the crew could be involved. When we were in Jamaica, I was with some crew members and we took a private boat back to the ship. We pulled right up to the ship, got off and walked on to the ship through a different entrance than the other passengers. No customs or anything. I have to admit I was severely under the influence of alcohol (went immediately to bed after a passenger was kind enough to help me find my cabin because I had no idea where I was going) but I do remember that I did have to insert my S&S card into the machine to get on the ship as did the other crew members I was with.

[jemingway]

Sounds like you had a successful visit to Jamaica.:D

[gsb]

few years ago, doing the Mexican Riviera, 2 of our tablemates were taken into custody and then removed from the ship at the next port and flown back to the U.S. Wild.

[mohavemommy]

This was on my local news last night and they said that it was purchased in Jamaica and brought to the US thru New Orleans, so we know that would have to be the Conquest. Makes me wonder if this is why the rates on the Conquest are higher than other Western Caribbean ships...... so many drug suppliers buying up the cabins....... hhhmmmmm

[JJS2K3]

From http://www.belizefirst.com/current.html

 

POSSESSING SMALL AMOUNT OF GRASS WON'T GET YOU ARRESTED IN BELIZE: The police have bowed to reality and officially stated they won't charge anyone for possessing 2 grams or less of marijuana. That's the word from Police Commissioner Jose Zetina in late June.