Pigeons have been used before by inmatesThe bird was trying to fly into a jail in the north-eastern city of Bucaramanga with marijuana and cocaine paste strapped to its back, but did not make it.
Police believe the 45g (1.6oz) drug package was too heavy for it.
The bird is now being cared for by the local ecological police unit, officers said.
"We found the bird about a block away from the prison trying to fly over with a package, but due to the excess weight it could not accomplish its mission," said Bucaramanga police commander Jose Angel Mendoza.
"This is a new case of criminal ingenuity."
The pigeon is thought to have been trained by inmates or their accomplices.
Police said carrier pigeons had been used in the past to smuggle mobile phone Sim cards into the jail.
19/01/2011
Fans attending the Big Day Out concert on Friday at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium have been warned to stay away from a dangerous new party drug, say paramedics.
Not a lot was known about 2C-P but it was a mix of ecstasy and other drugs and had surfaced at a couple of Auckland concerts in the last two or three months, St John event regional events manager Charlotte Guscott said.
"It sounds like a bit of a charmer."
People would have to be stupid to put such an unknown and potentially dangerous mixture into their bodies, she said.
Symptoms could include headaches, vomiting, hallucinations and a lousy feeling.
"I hate to stereotype them, but people who tend to take drugs like that don't necessarily just stay with pills. They have a few beers and might have some pot as well so it ends up as a bit of a concoction of all sorts," she said.
The sun, heat, exhaustion, alcohol and drugs, all mixed together, "can make things a lot worse for a patient".
However, drug abuse at the concert was not as big as some people thought and last year only 25 of the 1500 people treated by paramedics were treated for drug abuse.
ORTLAND, Tenn. – A father in Portland was arrested after police said he let his child play with marijuana. Officers found photos of the incident on his phone.
Officers responded to the home of 30-year-old Christopher Bradley in Portland for a domestic dispute after his estranged wife called them. Police said she is the one who found the pictures on Bradley’s cell phone
During the investigation, several photos where found on Bradley’s phone of his 2-year-old son standing at a table packaging marijuana.
Photos showed the child placing marijuana into a jar. The pictures also showed rolling paper and a lighter on the table.
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Young people believe the drug methamphetamine, or P, is for "losers" but see little difference between cannabis, ecstasy, tobacco and alcohol, according a survey.
The UMR Research work on a small group - about 20 young people aged between 12 and 17 - was carried out for anti-P group the Stellar Trust, and aimed to gain an understanding of young people's attitudes to the drug and identify initiatives that would be most effective in deterring its use amongst NZ youth.
It showed media stories about the links to horror crime and health damage were putting young people off the drug, Stellar chief executive Mike Williams said.
The survey found party pills had gone out of favour since they became illegal, while ecstasy was seen mostly as a party drug used by older teens.
Heroin, cocaine and P were viewed as the most serious drugs and were the least used.
Key deterrents to trying P were addictive behaviour, its impact on appearance, the negative profile of users and it was viewed as a heavy duty drug.
The teens also knew it could change personality; make you angry, steal, destroy families and a user's appearance.
Many of the teens were relaxed about drug use and not affected by the death of 16-year-old King's College student James Webster after he had knocked back a bottle of vodka. His death was seen as a chance to crack down on teens.
About half had tried marijuana, which was "hardly viewed as illegal" and was widely available and prevalent in schools.
A union representing hundreds of Dunedin City Council workers is concerned about covert surveillance and search powers proposed in a new drugs policy for council staff.
Amalgamated Workers' Union New Zealand (Southern) assistant secretary Peter Costello, of Dunedin, said he planned to discuss the proposed policy with council union delegates next week.
He had yet to hear from members about the draft policy, but was concerned it allowed the use of covert electronic surveillance to detect drug or alcohol misuse by council employees.
It was the first time he had struck plans to allow covert surveillance as part of an employer's drug policy, and the mention of the method was a concern.
"To my knowledge, I don't believe we've got any covert cameras or anything like that [inside other workplaces]. But because they're covert, you wouldn't possibly know."
He would also have concerns about searches of private property.
Mr Costello's comments came after it was confirmed council staff were being asked by senior managers to consider a new policy on alcohol and other drugs.
A Dunedin city councillor says his colleagues should also volunteer to be drug-tested, but Mayor Dave Cull warns sobriety is no guarantee of good decision-making.
Cr Colin Weatherall said he would not support compelling councillors to be tested for illicit substances, but believed they should be allowed to volunteer.
"If it's good for the goose then it's good for the gander. Across the organisation it should be available for anyone who wants to participate."
Cr Weatherall was responding to the council's draft alcohol-and-other-drugs policy, sent to the organisation's staff for consultation, which outlined policies for random and targeted drug testing of council staff, covert surveillance and searches.
The proposal has drawn criticism from the union representing hundreds of council workers.
Amalgamated Workers' Union New Zealand (Southern) assistant secretary Peter Costello, of Dunedin, said he planned to discuss the issue with council union delegates next week.
Cr Weatherall said most councillors could "have their day" on alcohol, but he would queue for a drugs test and sail through with flying colours.
Random testing and the use of covert electronic surveillance could be among powers to be used by the Dunedin City Council to root out drug abuse by its staff.
Council staff are being asked to consider a proposed new alcohol-and-other-drug policy, which details procedures for random and targeted testing for inappropriate use of illicit substances.
The list of substances to be tested for include alcohol - over the legal drink-drive limit - as well as cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis and other illegal drugs.
A copy of the draft policy was released to the Otago Daily Times last week by council community life general manager Graeme Hall, who said the policy aimed to ensure key staff were "right on top of their game".
He was not aware of "significant" drug or alcohol problems among the council's 687 full-time equivalent staff, but the draft policy matched those of other major employers.
The council had an obligation to provide a safe workplace, already had general guidelines on prohibiting inappropriate alcohol and drug use and a programme in place to help staff with issues.
However, the new policy pulled the guidelines into one cohesive document, provided more specific instructions and spelt out in greater detail the council's power when it came to search and surveillance, Mr Hall said.
The draft allowed random testing for council staff working in safety-sensitive areas, such as those operating heavy machinery, and those responsible for public safety, such as lifeguards at Moana Pool.
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Cannabis social clubs are nothing new in Europe. They have been registered in Spain AND Belgium and have operated to good effect. Offering a modicum of control over who has access to safe cannabis supplies, which prohibition just doesn't achieve. And now a similar model has made its way to New Zealand, where well known kiwi cannabis activist Dakta Green is planning on opening the first consumers club in Hamilton. |
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 Members clubs could play their part in reducing harms associated with contaminated cannabis, AS WELL as reducing the amounts of people buying illicit drugs. This works. |
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| Cannabis Social Clubs In short a group of people come together under the auspices of a 'private members club'. They club together to buy all of the provisions necessary to ensure a happy, healthy crop of cannabis buds. This includes any lights used, ventilation equipment, plus of course, the cannabis seeds which will be grown. |
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| The resulting crop is harvested and shared out amongst the members of the club and at face value its easy to see how many users such a blue-print could remove from the illicit drugs market place. Rocket science, its not! | |
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If a club has 100 registered members that is 100 less people scoring illicit drugs in a given geographical region. Spread across an entire country it could have a significant impact in the war against drugs. More than a dozen cannabis law reform activists were in Hamilton yesterday gathering signatures for a petition asking Parliament to "stop all cannabis arrests". Tour leader Dakta Green said cannabis smoking clubs were designed to educate people about how to use cannabis responsibly. "The rules are very clear" he told reporters. "It's an R18 gathering and no alcohol, drugs or dealing is allowed." Be that as it may, cannabis social clubs are actually illegal, and for a scheme like this to work out some sort of liason would need to take place with the local police. When asked for comments, Acting Waikato police communications manager Tony Sasso said officers would not attend any gathering unless an offence was brought to police's attention. He said police had to prioritise resources "as we see fit". Which is a great attitude to have. Perhaps if Dakta Green invites the local police chief to come and see for himself that its NOT just an excuse for a drug-fuelled 'ho-down', it could be a great bridge where police and cannabis users could communicate on an open platform. Now wouldn't THAT be a worlds first from the worlds youngest country? Good luck Dakta and everyone involved with NORML New Zealand. Cannazine Cannabis News |
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A Canterbury man who suffered a brain haemorrhage after taking legal party pills has become the first recorded case of anyone suffering serious complications from the stimulant DMAA.
DMAA, or dimethylamylamine, is one of the main ingredients of new "BZP-free party pills", since BZP was banned in New Zealand in 2008.
There have been calls for many years for the makers and retailers of the pills, which mimic the effects of ecstasy and amphetamine, to prove they are safe before they can be sold.
The New Zealand Medical Journal, published this month, recorded the case of the unnamed 21-year-old, who took the recommended dose of two pills - each "99.9 percent DMAA" - along with a caffeine capsule and on top of one can of beer.
15 arrested in Christchurch drug raid
Home » News » National
Wed, 22 Dec 2010
News: National
Police have closed down a "tinnie'' house, arrested 15 people and searched 77 houses in northern Christchurch today as part of a mass crackdown on the drug trade.
The operation, targeting cannabis dealers, began at 8am with 55 police including the armed offenders squad and dog teams taking part. Police said they found four houses where cannabis was being grown, one with video cameras and barricaded doors.
"I believe we have sent a significant message to the criminal fraternity in this area that their continued involvement in illegal activities will not go unchecked,'' Senior Sergeant Roy Appley said.
"At one address a bank book revealed about $35,000 in an account - which seemed at odds with the person's known lifestyle.''
Police also visited houses where they believed there to be a risk of family violence, and drink driving was also targeted.
