MORE COCAINE MEANS LESS ICE

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: (redacted) 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 (redacted).

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 (redacted)
of Koloa.

(redacted) was arrested and charged on first-degree drug trafficking
charges but was released on bail Oct. 18.

(redacted) is still unaccounted for.

Other high-profile fugitives linked to methamphetamine-trafficking
related charges in the past include three-time fugitive (redacted)
who was charged with second-degree promotion of a dangerous
drug and paraphernalia possession; and (redacted), 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.