Drugs: Elmo Busted for Possession of Cocaine
Narcotics officers have a difficult task when it comes to locating drugs while searching someone’s property. Bad guys have become fairly creative when it comes to finding new hiding spots, and to make matters worse, engineers and manufacturers have also joined in to help criminals hide their stashes.
Almost anything you can think of has been, or can be, converted into a hiding place for illegal narcotics, including car batteries, baby seats, baby bottles, diapers, books, lamps, and car doors and tires.
Here’s some examples of items that were used to conceal drugs:
Children’s toys are often used to hide illegal drugs. A little on-the-scene surgery performed by alert agents revealed thousands of dollars worth of cocaine stuffed inside Elmo.
Jars, such as the fake peanut butter jar above, are designed to look as if they’re full to the brim with the contents displayed on the label. Actually, they’re fitted with plastic liners to allow for the hidden storage of valuables or narcotics. The introduction of these items to the marketplace has forced police officers to spend valuable time opening every bottle and jar in the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator when serving search warrants.
Statues are often filled with drugs, such as methamphetamine. After filling, the opening is sealed, and the trinket is packaged in cartons for shipping among normal cargo.
Tennis balls have been used to conceal personal drug stashes. A small slit is made in the ball which is used for inserting drugs. The cut is nearly invisible to the unsuspecting searcher.
The open space around a car axle and wheel assembly is a common hiding place for drug dealers who transport their wares along the highways.
Items, such as the hair spray and shaving cream can pictured above, are designed with a screw-off bottom. A shake of the can normally reveals the can’s contents are something other than what’s displayed on the label. Officers also give can bottoms a quick twist during searches.
Larry King shows a prosthetic leg that was used to transport narcotics.
Of course, it’s always difficult to conceal large quantities of crack.
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Crime Report of the Day
(from actual police reports)
A woman called to report suspicious items inside her mailbox. Responding officers discovered the items were mail.
With all the hours of Sesame Street, Dora, Teletubbies, and Nick Jr. I’ve watched, I thought I’d be able to come up with something clever to add. Instead I’m convinced my brain has been fried by kid TV. Surely else someone can figure out how The Count was involved.
Bill, I was going to introduce myself at the other Lee’s book signing on friday, but you’d vanished by the time I worked through the line. I thought it was great that the moderater plugged your book a few times and then Lee said he reads your books. There’s no better publicity.
Et tu, Elmo? Shocking, are there no role models out there anymore?
From what I heard, the trial will be covered by field reporter Kermit T. Frog.
My mother relates that she’d been used to smuggle insulin from Danzig to Berlin for a relative who couldn’t get it there. This was in the 30’s, when she was a baby, hidden in her diaper.
Thanks for that mental image, Bill.
Donnell – Your instructor was exactly right. In fact, I recall a top company employed a guy the second he was released from prison. The inmate had sent the company execs a resume from prison that included his experience at running a huge marijuana farming operation. The company was impressed with his business savvy and hired him.
Bill, you might owe the Shaler PD a new keyboard…
My own thong is blue.
Lee, when I did the Citizens Academy, the cops there said that if the bad guys used their ingenuity for good, they’d make a fortune. And I agree with the others, when I scrolled down to that last picture, my brain screamed, “My eyes, my eyes!!!” 🙂 Great post!
Bobby – The prosecution has several “I” witnesses lined up to testify. I’m told the chief investigator on the case was Dora the Explorer. She’s never lost a case. Besides, they caught Elmo red handed, so I expect he’ll snitch on the big bird of the operation. That’s who the cops really want, not small-time Street dealers like Mo.
mnboater – You really crack me up…
That last picutre is a prime exapmle of why you should always so no to crack.
I knew it !!! I always knew that Elmo was crooked.
A statement issued today by Elmo’s lawyer, Bert of Ernie, Bert & Assoc., said: “Mr. Elmo vehemently denies these ridiculous allegations.”
Judge Guy Smiley will be presiding over the trial which is set to begin shortly (and brought to you by the letter C).
Hey, Lee, you didn’t pose for that last pic, did you?
You had to go and post that that last picture didn’t you? That’s not exactly the vision I want to carry with me the rest of the day!
And poor Elmo!