MAIL-ORDER COCAINE SCHEME IS THWARTED

YORK -- Authorities say they busted a mail-order cocaine scheme Friday, the
latest in a string of drug seizures in York County that have netted nearly
a half-million dollars in narcotics.

Friday's bust of more than $14,000 in cocaine mailed from Central America
is part of $487,180 in drugs officials have confiscated within the past 10
days, said Marvin Brown of York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement
Unit. In one bust, officials recovered $300,000 in cocaine. Two days later,
they seized another $173,000 worth.

"All of these seizures were significant because these drugs were coming to
the streets of York County, not Charlotte," Brown said. "We're doing
everything we can to combat the rise of cocaine in our area." Eight people
face drug-related charges stemming from the narcotics probe, Brown said.
Each faces up to 30 years without parole, he said.

Foiled Mail-Order

Around 5 p.m. Friday, the county drug unit and the U.S. Postal Inspector's
Office were working a drug probe at a mobile home at [address redacted] in
York when two men drove up for a package that sat near the mailbox.

"The package was delivered by mail from Honduras," Brown said. "The driver
got out, grabbed the package and they walked behind the residence and
opened the package."

Inside was 141 grams of cocaine worth $14,180 on the street.

Authorities have said some people send drugs via Federal Express and UPS as
well as through the U.S. Postal Service.

"Because the border security has tightened up, we're seeing more packages
of illegal drugs like cocaine being mailed into the country," Brown said.
"York County is not immune to that. We are working to fix the problem."

[name redacted], 26, and [name redacted], 28, both of Charlotte, have ties
to the York mobile home but do not live there, Brown said. Authorities
charged each man with trafficking cocaine and possession of a firearm
during the commission of a violent crime, according to a police report.