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Up to 3.5 tons of pot is seized from truck, business; 4 arrested
Arizona Daily Star ^ | Dale Quinn

Posted on 02/09/2007 7:14:44 PM PST by SandRat

Investigators from the Counter Narcotics Alliance seized as much as 7,000 pounds of marijuana south of Downtown Thursday morning and arrested four people on drug charges, officials said.

Authorities estimated the wholesale value of the marijuana at $500 per pound, which means the bust could have a value of $3.5 million.

Members of the multi- agency Counter Narcotics Alliance raided Bearing-Belt & Chain Inc., 430 W. 22nd St., at about 8:30 a.m. and seized an estimated 5,000 pounds of marijuana, said Lt. Kelly J. Lane of the Tucson Police Department.

Earlier that day, around 6 a.m., police officers pulled over a black pickup truck with Sonoran license plates because the white trailer it was pulling had no lights, Lane said. The truck's driver and passenger appeared nervous, Lane said.

Officers said they found a firearm with its safety off and a magazine loaded with 40 rounds, along with marijuana debris on the floor of the truck.

When the officers searched the trailer, they found between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds of marijuana, Lane said. Further investigation and evidence at the scene led the police to the business on West 22nd Street.

The driver of the truck, 27-year-old Ronaldo Carrizoza Martinez of Sonora, Mexico, and the passenger, Tucsonan Luis Carlos Nido Chavez, 38, were arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale; transportation of marijuana for sale; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug violation.

A front-counter salesman of Bearing-Belt & Chain Inc., 37-year-old Leland Crockwell, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sale.

Saul Carrizoza Martinez, 31, of Cumpas, Sonora, was arrested on suspicion of drug possession as he left the business in a car, Lane said.

The business appeared to be a marijuana-distribution point, and the drugs probably wouldn't have stayed there long before being moved again, Lane said.

* Contact reporter Dale Quinn at 629-9412 or dquinn@azstarnet.com.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: 3tons; 420; aliens; arrests; bong; drugs; illegalaliens; immigrantlist; pot; wod; wodlist
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To: doc1019
"Nah … all for personal use, no resale here."

Medical ... it was for medical use.

The complete name of the company they raided was Bearing-Belt & Chain & Clinic, Inc

41 posted on 02/10/2007 8:07:12 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: Ken H

You mean the kennedys, right?


42 posted on 02/10/2007 8:13:11 AM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace
"$500 per pound. What a beautiful profit the WOD has created for those willing to take a risk"

Yeah, what a shame.

We'd be much better off if marijuana was legal and $5 per pound. More kids could then afford it.

Parents and employers have been pushing for cheap and easy-to-get marijuana for decades. I'm sure you've read about that.

43 posted on 02/10/2007 8:13:46 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: robertpaulsen

LOL. Sounds like something out of a bad movie.


44 posted on 02/10/2007 8:15:10 AM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: robertpaulsen

My kid in HS says he could get MJ without leaving campus, if he wanted to.

Cigs are harder to come by.

Sooo.... hows that WOD working in your area?


45 posted on 02/10/2007 8:17:08 AM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: SandRat

Growing and smuggling the dope That Americans won't do.


46 posted on 02/10/2007 8:19:13 AM PST by dforest (Liberals love crisis, create crisis and then dwell on them.)
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To: Mr_Moonlight
"Hard drugs aside, there is no point in continuing the prohibition on the production, distribution, and use of Marijuana."

If, as you say, the WOD has "gone absolutely nowhere. Accomplished absolutely nothing", then why "hard drugs aside"? Seriously. Why not legalize all drugs?

The truth of the matter is that drug use would go up with legalization. I think you know this. You're simply willing to tolerate an increase in the use of marijuana but not an increase in the use of hard drugs.

That's fine. Just don't say the WOD "isn't working", that's all.

"then TAX the SMITHEREENS out of the distributors of the product!!! Just like is being done with tobacco"

Good point. And what's happening with cigarettes? They're being driven underground because of the high taxes and the government then collects ... zip.

If legalized, I think taxes on marijuana at all levels of government (federal, state, county, city) will add up to be quite high. Actually, I think the potential tax revenue will be how legalization is "sold" to the public (just as state lotteries were sold and riverboat casinos were sold). Besides, do you think parents want cheap marijuana?

Unlike alcohol and tobacco, however, an underground already exists for marijuana. It will be very easy for the black market to reactivate this underground to sell tax-free marijuana.

Currently, 30% of marijuana users are underage. Legalize it (which will be interpreted by teens as society saying that marijuana is OK) and making it cheap could increase that percentage -- maybe to 50%.

Now, with half the marijuana market being underage and illegal, you don't think the gangs will move in to service it?

47 posted on 02/10/2007 8:37:24 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: SandRat

$500/pound, 16oz in a pound= $31.25 an ounce

Weed in Philadelphia is $180 an oz for mexican..$350-$500 for top notch stuff.

Thats a hell of a mark up.....Legalize it...Tax the ship outta it....would still be cheaper than street price....and we'd save billions in WOD resources. That would free up all those agents for WOT duty....sounds like a plan to me....


48 posted on 02/10/2007 8:43:47 AM PST by halfright (God Bless America, I pledge allegiance to the flag, and I will whiz on Jane and Jon's graves!)
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To: robertpaulsen
"$500 per pound. What a beautiful profit the WOD has created for those willing to take a risk" Yeah, what a shame. We'd be much better off if marijuana was legal and $5 per pound. More kids could then afford it. I guess you are right. It is well known that thanks to the WOD, the price of marijuana is prohibitively expense and difficult for "kids" to obtain. /sarcasm. Are you for real?
49 posted on 02/10/2007 8:56:45 AM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace
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To: goldstategop
"I'm in favor of legalizing the personal use of marijuana ... that would immediately relieve overcrowded prisons ..."

Most of those in prison are there for dealing or trafficking drugs, not using.

"I'm talking common sense here."

If you're talking about using common sense when it comes to the personal use of marijuana, then decriminalization, not legalization, is the better approach. Marijuana is still illegal but personal use is treated like a speeding ticket. A small fine and that's it.

Only one problem. Many of those who argue for decriminalization are doing so, not as a common sense approach, but as a step towards legalization. When I first came to FR I favored decriminalization because it made sense and the punishment fit the crime.

No more.

50 posted on 02/10/2007 9:21:11 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: Loud Mime
"All over a pot deal."

Like the dealer's reaction is understandable if it was over something else?

Like maybe he borrowed the dealer's lawn mower and didn't return it?

51 posted on 02/10/2007 9:30:46 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: RicocheT
"Meanwhile, the criminal class will have to go back to robbery"

Legalize all drugs in the U.S. and the criminal class will come here in droves to get into the export business, illegally smuggling our cheap and legal drugs to countries where their use remains illegal.

That should make us real popular worldwide, especially with countries (and religions) which hate drugs.

52 posted on 02/10/2007 9:41:07 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: Ken H
"Any thoughts on how to keep that money out of criminals' and terrorists' hands?"

Arrest them and throw them in prison?

53 posted on 02/10/2007 9:45:48 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: patton
"My kid in HS says he could get MJ without leaving campus, if he wanted to."

I believe it. In every survey I've seen teens say that marijuana is easier to obtain than alcohol.

Yet teens use hard to get, regulated alcohol 2:1 over maruijuana. Why is that, you think? You think it might be due to the fact that alcohol is legal (for adults), giving teens the impression that society says it's not that bad?

I mean, really. How bad can alcohol be? It's legal!

"Sooo.... hows that WOD working in your area?"

Teen use of marijuana is down, thank you. Actually, for the last ten years, teen use of marijuana has been declining nationwide.

Maybe we should legalize it, regulate it, tax it, and make it hard to obtain in order to get those numbers up, closer to alcohol, huh?

54 posted on 02/10/2007 9:57:48 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: robertpaulsen

Teen use of MJ is in decline? Really?


55 posted on 02/10/2007 10:01:49 AM PST by patton (Sanctimony frequently reaps its own reward.)
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To: SandRat

"Authorities estimated the wholesale value of the marijuana at $500 per pound"

Must have been some ditch weed.


56 posted on 02/10/2007 10:03:24 AM PST by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
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To: SandRat

Yes, we're winning the war on drugs,
We're winning the war on drugs,
Praise the Lord and pass the bong,
We're winning the war on drugs.

Everybody sing along..


57 posted on 02/10/2007 10:05:14 AM PST by 38special (I mean come'on.)
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To: halfright
"That would free up all those agents for WOT duty"

By legalizing marijuana only? Wouldn't we have to legalize ALL drugs to free up the agents?

"would still be cheaper than street price"

OK. Other than marijuana users, whoever wants cheap marijuana raise your hands!

I don't see any hands, do you?

About 6% of the population smokes marijuana. 30% of those are underage and don't vote. That means about 4% of the voters want to have cheap marijuana. Meaning, if my math is correct, that 96% don't want cheap marijuana. That 96% includes a whole bunch of concerned parents.

I don't think you can guarantee cheap prices, amigo.

58 posted on 02/10/2007 10:09:48 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace
"It is well known that thanks to the WOD, the price of marijuana is prohibitively expense and difficult for "kids" to obtain"

No, it's expensive and easy for "kids" to obtain. Yet teens use alcohol 2:1 over marijuana. Gee, maybe it's the price after all, huh?

Yeah, let's reduce that marijuana price. We gotta get them numbers up, closer to alcohol!

59 posted on 02/10/2007 10:16:34 AM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: robertpaulsen

My point is that pot dealers can be rough; such behavior isn't reserved for pimps, meth dealers and cocaine distributors.


60 posted on 02/10/2007 10:22:31 AM PST by Loud Mime (“War’s very object is victory, not prolonged indecision." Gen Douglas Mac Arthur)
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