Cocaine continues to grow in popularity on the island and across the state as law enforcement puts the pinch on methamphetamine dealers, officials said yesterday. Though the U.S. Attorney General’s Office recently alluded to an increase in the amounts of
Cocaine continues to grow in popularity on the island and across the state as law enforcement puts the pinch on methamphetamine dealers, officials said yesterday.
Though the U.S. Attorney General’s Office recently alluded to an increase in the amounts of crack cocaine and powdered cocaine present statewide — the Attorney General’s Office said more than 500 grams of crack cocaine had been seized through September of this year, up from 442 grams in 2006 — Lt. Michael Contrades of the Kaua‘i Police Department narcotics and vice section said local law enforcement hasn’t seen an increase in seizures of the smokeable, highly-addictive version of the drug.
What Kaua‘i police have seen, he said, is “a tremendous increase in cocaine seizures as opposed to ice.”
The shift has made the demand and cost of ice higher, he added.
“Currently the cost of ice is at an all-time high and more difficult to acquire,” he said.
The price of methamphetamine or “ice” has almost doubled since the beginning of 2007.
“An ounce of ice went for about $3,000 to $3,500 and currently can be sold for $5,000 to $6,000,” he said.
The trend is nationwide, with the largest cocaine seizure ever where 42,845 pounds of cocaine aboard the Panamanian-flagged motor vessel “Gatun” was taken in March off the coast of Panama by a San Diego-based Coast Guard cutter earlier this year, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The state’s largest methamphetamine-related bust so far for 2007 — executed Oct. 10 — yielded $250,000 worth of meth, leading to the indictments of eight Kaua‘i residents: Edward Cachola, 41, David Marcial Lane, 38, Desmond Dwight Mundon, 32; and Summer Keala Ebesu, 25, Santiago Corpuz Leones Jr., 45, Wanda Lynn Oshiro, 41, Leann Pualani Fu, 43, and Sheena Gail Semana, 24, all of whom are charged with conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine and possession and face mandatory minimum prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.
All could get the maximum penalty, life in prison, for their possible involvement in what the U.S. Attorney General’s Office officials called one of the largest Philippine-O‘ahu-Kaua‘i drug trafficking rings.
The KPD seized 318 grams of ice in 2000, 2,179 grams in 2001, 446 grams in 2002, 392 grams in 2003; 2,202 grams in 2004, 1,940 grams in 2005 and 245 grams through October 2006, according to police records.
By comparison, the KPD confiscated 52.1 grams of cocaine in 2005 and 5,700 grams through October 2006, of which 5,534 grams were seized in March of that year.
But the success is somewhat of a double-edged sword, as the law of demand has shown that honing in on one drug could propel another forward, and catching one “big fish,” could mean other dealers have that much more of the market in which to zero-in.
Despite the challenges, however, last year’s statistics showed the Kaua‘i Police Department saw a 11,000 percent increase in the amount of cocaine seized from 2005 through October 2006.
Current figures related to cocaine busts won’t be unveiled until next week’s Police Commission meeting, police said.
Though the KPD continues to put accused methamphetamine traffickers behind bars, such as recent defendants Lacilee Nobriga, 21, of Puhi, Tiphany Boissiere, 31, also of Puhi and Doreen Caberto, 33, of Lawa‘i.
Those three were picked up on methamphetamine-related trafficking charges earlier this month.
The associated risk of the behavioral effects of the drug — including flight risk — remains high, as demonstrated by recent fugitive Timothy Jeffrey, 35, of Koloa.
Jeffrey was arrested and charged on first-degree drug trafficking charges but was released on bail Oct. 18.
Jeffrey is still unaccounted for.
Other high-profile fugitives linked to methamphetamine-trafficking related charges in the past include three-time fugitive Chris Dichoso Santos, who was charged with second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug and paraphernalia possession; and Byron Say, a former Hanalei resident who led police on at least two chases after fleeing at least one methamphetamine-related arrest.
Say is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence.
According to the DEA, the largest cocaine seizures by the Coast Guard in recent years were 30,109 pounds from the stateless-vessel “Lina Maria,” on Sept. 17, 2004; 26,397 pounds from the Cambodian-flagged vessel “Svesda Maru” on May 1, 2001; and 26,369 pounds from the Belize-flagged vessel “San Jose” on Sept. 23, 2004.
• Amanda C. Gregg, assistant editor/staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or agregg@kauaipubco.com.
