S.F. AIRPORT SEIZES DRUG CARGO

Five women were arrested Saturday in what narcotics officers say is their
largest single-day drug seizure at the airport. Eleven bags, carrying 315
pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $1.2 million, were confiscated.

BY AARON DAVIS Mercury News

Computers at San Francisco Airport randomly X-ray 2 percent of the bags
checked through the airport's domestic terminals each day for safety. Just
before 8:30 a.m. Saturday, that's what happened to one of the three black
suitcases that Virgin Flores, 40, checked at the curb in front of an
American Airlines counter.

Narcotics officers at San Francisco International say that lucky break led
to the airport's largest single-day seizure of marijuana: 315 pounds, with
an estimated street value of $1.2 million.

The 38 pounds of marijuana inside Flores' bag caught the attention of X-ray
technicians. Soon the airport's drug-sniffing dog, Elway, was on the job.
Within three hours, the airport's Narcotics Task Force, made up of local,
state and federal officers, had ruined the weekend plans of what police
called a multimillion-dollar, nationwide drug ring.

The five New York women arrested Saturday and the mountains of marijuana
police confiscated may have been only a fraction of the drug dealing that
took place at the airport over the weekend, task force officials said.

Police learned late Saturday that a rival New York drug ring was in town on
Friday and may have succeeded with plans to fly Mexican marijuana from San
Francisco to New York.

``I wouldn't be surprised if the others caught an early flight back East,''
said Stan Baroff, a 12-year veteran agent with the airport's Narcotics Task
Force. ``This is a never-ending, catch-you-later battle. We just got a
break this weekend.''

That lucky break of spotting the contraband in Flores' suitcase was just
the first step in a weekend drug bust that led to sting operations at two
peninsula hotels and the piecing together of an elaborate drug-smuggling plot.

After finding all of Flores' bags were expertly packed with marijuana,
narcotics officers knew from experience she was not working alone.

From the way it was packed and the quality of the drug, ``It looked
exactly like a Jamaican ring we busted here two years ago,'' Baroff said.
Two years ago, drug enforcement officers confiscated 1,500 pounds of
marijuana bound for New York over six weeks, Baroff said.

Ten minutes after the first bags were found Saturday, police suspicions
were proved correct. Elway found three more bags packed the same way
heading for an American Airlines flight to John F. Kennedy Airport. Those
bags had been checked onto the plane by Amarlys Alta-Grace Arocho, 48, of
New York City.

From there, the story of the airport bust took on TV cop show twists as
narcotics officers tracked down Arocho's daughter, Victoria Venus Arocho,
24, at an airport hotel Saturday afternoon, and, later, found two other
women at another airport hotel. They were identified as Patricia Montanez,
25, and Dasny Troche, 24. In all, the women were carrying 11 suitcases
filled with marijuana, police said.

The hotel names were not released because airport security officials have
standing arrangements with the hotel companies to report suspicious
behavior near the airport.

With each new arrest, police learned more details of the cross-country
smuggling ring.

Police said the marijuana was driven last Thursday from Mexico to San
Diego, where it was wrapped several times in plastic and cleaning solutions
to mask the marijuana smell.

From San Diego, the suitcases were driven by other people to San Francisco
to rendezvous with the five women, who allegedly were being paid to carry
the suitcases.

``It's sad, in a way. The women are the victims,'' said Shirley Gag-liardo,
of the airport's Narcotics Task Force. ``They were looking for quick money.''

All five women are being held in San Mateo County Jail on multiple felony
drug charges. Narcotics officers say they have a good idea who masterminded
the shipments and are working with New York law enforcement to find him.