BAY AREA MEN FACE CHARGES IN SWEEP FOR DRUG ITEMS

Two Bay Area men have been indicted in a nationwide crackdown on
businesses, including online retailers, selling drug paraphernalia such as
bongs, marijuana pipes, roach clips, miniature spoons and cocaine freebase
kits.

Agents from the San Francisco office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration arrested both men Monday morning and raided three locations
in San Mateo County and one in Santa Clara County, according to the DEA.

Waleed A. Zahrieh, 37, of Los Gatos, and Nessar David Zahriya, 39, of San
Mateo allegedly ran Sands of Time and its successor business, Wicked,
according to a DEA statement. Neither Zahrieh nor Zahriya returned
telephone calls seeking comment.

Bay Area DEA agents began making arrests and serving search warrants at 6
a.m. Monday. Both Zahrieh and Zahriya were taken into custody but could
have been released later the same day on bail. No specific addresses were
provided for the four Bay Area locations searched.

Four other Northern California residents have been indicted. They are: John
Matthew Patrick, 38, of Forestville, which is near Santa Rosa; and Ryan
Teurfs, 29, Jason Vrbas, 29, and Gabriel Watson, 29, all of Arcata, which
is near Eureka.

A total of 50 men and women nationwide were indicted as a result of
Operation Pipe Dreams and Operation Headhunter. Officials confiscated
"thousands and thousands of tons" of paraphernalia from companies with up
to $50 million in annual sales, said Mary Beth Buchanan, U.S. attorney in
Pittsburgh, whose office is leading the Operation Pipe Dreams investigation.

The investigations targeted the nation's biggest Internet distributors,
although it was unclear Monday evening whether Zahrieh and Zahriya
allegedly worked online or through conventional stores or both.

Patrick allegedly ran the business behind www. colorchangingglass.com. The
three Arcata men allegedly sold illegal products through www.101north.net.

"No one would possibly use these items for smoking tobacco," Buchanan said
at a Justice Department news conference.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the sale of drug paraphernalia has
exploded on the Internet, making it easier for teenagers and young adults
to buy it.

Organizations advocating the legalization of marijuana accused Ashcroft of
grandstanding.

Selling equipment for use with illegal narcotics carries a maximum jail
term of three years, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both, per count.

The DEA said at least some of the items involved in Monday's sweep resemble
common household products such as a drug pipes disguised as felt-tip
markers or gas masks.