POLICE SEIZE $38,000 IN 'QUALITY' MARIJUANA

Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team investigators recovered more than $38,000
worth of "high quality" marijuana earlier this month.

According to Capt. Larry Belen of the KVET and the Kalamazoo Cold Case
Team, about 5 to 6 pounds of drugs were seized on March 9 at an apartment
on the 2600 block of West Main Street and at another residence on the 700
block of Academy Street, both areas of Kalamazoo where many Western
Michigan University students reside.

Belen said what makes this kind of marijuana "high quality" is the high
content of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC; the substance that actually gets
someone high.

"This drug was selling for $1,000 per pound and about $400 to $460 an
ounce," Belen said. "These people were making a lot of money."

What led Belen to these residences were 340 anonymous tips the department
received on people using and dealing drugs since January.

"We [KVET] follow-up constantly on tips," Belen said. "These tips led us to
seizing an ounce here and there of this marijuana until we were able to
start linking people together."

Belen said KVET worked on this case for about two months and was able to
identify three people involved with dealing these drugs. Of those
identified, one was a WMU student. The department is now seeking charges,
but no action has been taken.

Once the case is closed the drugs will be destroyed, Belen said.

KVET is Kalamazoo County's primary drug team. Belen said in 2003 KVET
seized $1.5 million in drugs ranging from cocaine to marijuana.

"We were actually down a bit from year's past," he said. "Kalamazoo is
still thriving with drugs."