30 BUSTED IN HEROIN-SMUGGLE CRUISE RUSE

Federal agents dismantled a Colombian heroin ring by arresting
several couriers who stitched packets of drugs into their britches
and then took cruise ships to the United States, authorities said yesterday.

"Drug traffickers have never lacked creativity in trying to smuggle
in their drugs," said John Gilbride, special agent in charge of the
Drug Enforcement Administration's New York office.

"But smuggling drugs aboard cruise ships is a new twist, as
traffickers try to do an end run around airport security."

The investigation, dubbed "Operation Death Merchant," charged 10
people in Manhattan and 20 others in Colombia with smuggling more
than $7.5 million worth of heroin into the U.S.

Several couriers hid the drugs inside running shorts and the soles of
their shoes. Others carried suitcases and purses packed with smack.

Agents seized 55 kilos of heroin in all, enough to flood the streets
with more than a million glassine bags of smack. Seventy-six kilos of
coke also were seized off a "go-fast" boat that had departed from Venezuela.

The drugs made their way from Pereira, Colombia, to New York,
Baltimore and Detroit, authorities said.

The probe was a joint venture between the DEA, NYPD, New York state
police and Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement agency.

Yesterday's charges bring to 110 the number of people charged
internationally during the three-year probe.