Police seize high-potency marijuana, arrest 2 men

[postman]

Police seize high-potency marijuana, arrest 2 men

 

By Barbara Boyer

 

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

A potent type of marijuana known as AK47 - so strong that some users are treated in emergency rooms for overdoses - has hit the Philadelphia area.

 

Today, police laid out 16 pounds of the stuff they said they confiscated from a high-level dealer who supplied the suburbs: Michael Cascioli, 31, of the 6100 block of City Avenue. He was arrested Monday in his penthouse suite and charged with multiple drug offenses.

 

Also arrested was Jeremy Sarkissina, 34, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who allegedly showed up with $14,000 to buy drugs while police were executing a search warrant, Narcotics Chief Inspector William Blackburn said. That money was confiscated, as well.

 

Police put the value of the marijuana at $812,000. On Tuesday, as the probe continued, investigators seized 12 pounds of hallucinogenic mushrooms worth $614,000 and more than $439,000 in cash, police said.

 

"This was a large-scale smuggling operation," Blackburn said. The drugs came up from South America to Canada, and then went through New York to reach this area, he said.

 

"Most of his clients were from the suburbs," Blackburn said of Cascioli, calling his customers "high-end" buyers who purchased by the pound and then sold smaller quantities. "He wasn't selling this stuff on the street level. People would come and buy pretty large amounts of marijuana."

 

Blackburn said that in marijuana circles, the AK47 strain is called "the one-hit wonder" and "an award-winning drug."

 

Web sites that sell marijuana seeds call AK47 a highly potent form of the drug.

 

Hospitals are seeing more teens in emergency rooms because of the "overdose, effects and powerfulness of this drug," Blackburn said, adding that overdoses are not "typical of marijuana, but it's typical of this type of marijuana."

 

Blackburn said the Narcotics Field Unit started with an investigation last month. A team headed by Officers Tom Liciardello, Jeff Walker and Brian Reynolds then coordinated controlled buys, surveillance and intelligence gathering, said Narcotics Capt. Chris Werner. In addition to the FBI, police also had assistance from Montgomery County and Maryland police.

 

On Monday, officers moved in on Cascioli in his rented penthouse suite. In addition to the cash and drugs confiscated there, Blackburn said $16,000 was seized from a bank account.

 

Tuesday, investigators followed up at an apartment that Cascioli rented in Bala Cynwyd, where they confiscated $87,000 in cash. Later that day, they executed a warrant in upscale Columbia, Md., where $320,000 more was confiscated in a relative's home, Blackburn said.

 

Blackburn said police have found small quantities of AK47 before, but never such a large amount at once. Blackburn said the investigation was continuing, including an examination of other assets Cascioli may have.

 

"That's where we brought in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they're assisting us in trying to figure out exactly how high-level this individual was," Blackburn said.

 

http://www.dopefiend.co.uk/

 

 

 

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[67Special]

Sounds like good gear

 

Can't say I've ever OD'd on thc, not for lake of trying either

[nugget]

I saw another report on this naming planetskunk as the 'Web site that sell marijuana seeds"

 

 

[jimbojones5678]

Wow.

That stuff sounds like some serious marijuana....hahahahahaha!

 

I feel sooooooooo sorry for that chump that walked in on it with all his dosh.

 

Jimbo

[Luke Skywalker]

What a total crock of shit.

 

Assholes. We have to counter this kind of propaganda.

[Pam]

Too bad the reporter didn't have more sense than to make an ass out of herself for repeating that drivel. It's a real shame that there are multitudes of silly fucks out there that will swear to that being true because they read it in the news!

 

Yeah, AK-47 is an award winning strain. It irks the shit out of me that these assholes insist on calling it a "drug".

I would love to be able to be there to slap any jerkoff coming into an ER saying they're overdosing on pot!

I have tried many times...in fact just last night! But I ate pizza rolls and fell asleep before I could finish...

 

Now I can see them bitching about the prices on the east coast, those are insane, but potency... Shit, I don't see them screaming that jagerbombs (jagermeister and red bull) are giving ppl alchohol poisoning!

And I'm willing to bet that I can go to any town that has a university and find some of those on almost any weekend!

 

It is just SLANDER!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[Luke Skywalker]

It irks the shit out of me that these assholes insist on calling it a "drug".

 

Did I miss something Granny? Did it suddenly not have a distinct pharmacological and physiological effect on humans?

 

Sorry, I just had to point that out and be a pedantic wanker... if it's not a drug what is it? And why do I smoke it?

 

Back on the subject at hand though the crap out there is astonishing isn't it? This is obviously blatant propaganda, paid and set up by the government to present cannabis in as bad a light as possible. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if you found a nice neat payment from a pub association or alcohol manufacturers guild or something to the paper/company/individual journo involved....

 

I dunno, perhaps we could write to the journo and get them to explain themselves as to why they didn't give an unbiased and researched article...?

 

I have a feeling that wouldn't get you very far, they could easily just not reply or even defend themselves quite adequately... they are "journalists" *spits in corner* after all. But as a prolific letters to the editor writer I can appreciate that these kind of soft actions can have a subtle effect.

[leafy]

I HAVE READ AND WATCHED HUNDREDS OF FUCKING DOCO's YOU CANNOT OVERDOSE ON THC! IT IS NOT EVEN THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE!

 

If people are overdosing on it, people must be lacing it with Ice or horse tranquilizers, you cannot overdose on mary jane at all, yes it can send you loopy if your like me, thats why I dont smoke, and these fucking coppers better test it, because I assure all of you its spiked weed.

 

I also urge others to make sure that if they hear of anyone lacing weed, lower your prices if your dealing and save a persons life, we need a better reputation from the public. It's pricks who lace their weed who give us a bad name!

[pipeman]

Did I miss something Granny? Did it suddenly not have a distinct pharmacological and physiological effect on humans?

 

Sorry, I just had to point that out and be a pedantic wanker... if it's not a drug what is it? unsure.gif And why do I smoke it? wacko.gif

 

the point is they use certain language in certain situations to imply cannabis is more dangerous than it really is and to imply its no less dangerous than the other illegal drugs. That is the point Granny was making and its a good one. Just because the words used are technically correct has got nothing to do with it.

[DownUnderDoper]

Police put the value of the marijuana at $812,000.

 

$812000 / 16lbs

 

$50000 per lb / 16oz per lb

 

Wow at $3125 per oz it would want to be some fucking outstanding shit. No wonder people are willing to deal if they can get that much

 

$3200 for an oz of 'shrooms sounds a little pricey too, no??