CRACK CACHE FOUND IN CASE

Drug unit detectives are trying to crack a case where a law-abiding citizen
unwittingly bought a suitcase full of cocaine.

The black piece of "your average, everyday suitcase" went for 50 cents at a
local auction house.

And yesterday morning the bidder called police after finding he bought more
than he bargained for -- 3.7 kg of crack cocaine and another kilo of
cocaine powder -- inside the luggage.

The cache has an estimated street value of about $280,000 and is the most
significant seizure of crack ever in Calgary.

"He thought it was soap and even tried to dissolve it in water -- he had no
idea," said drug unit Staff Sgt. Roger Chaffin.

"This person purchased the suitcase for literally 50 cents and, to his
surprise, found about $300,000 worth of drugs in it."

Police seized the suitcase and its contents and are trying to track its
history.

The buyer and auction house are not considered suspects.

Chaffin said the rocks in small plastic baggies -- each worth about $1,500
- -- are packaged and ready to sell, proving the find is linked to the world
of organized crime.

"This is not a mom and pop operation," said Chaffin, pointing to a small
piece of rock which fell onto a table, noting it would be enough to give an
addict a 20-minute high.

"This is at the very organized, distribution level ... and really
indicative of the volumes of customers out there and could be gone inside
of a couple of days for a dealer."

Chaffin said people can get addicted to the "rocks" -- which to an
unfamiliar eye could look like soap or maple fudge and smell like stinky
soap at best or shoe polish -- in about a week.

"If you can get a customer onto this then you've got a customer for life,"
he said.

"This is a significant seizure that was meant to hit our streets and it is
indicative of the size of the shipments coming into our city, and the
demand for this dangerous and highly addictive drug."

Police said it is likely more than an "oops," which led someone to ditch
the suitcase, and more likely there was a risk that forced them to be rid
of the luggage.

"You're probably not going to get fired for this, but likely be in peril or
have some explaining to do," Chaffin said.

"For whatever reason (he or she) abandoned this bag and tens of thousands
of dollars.

"There's more to this story," Chaffin said.