-Caveat Lector- Feds: Ecstasy Ring Used Hasidim By TOM HAYS .c The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - Federal agents say they busted an international drug ring that used conservatively dressed Hasidic Jews as couriers for Ecstasy pills. Seven men were indicted this week in a scheme that relied on the Orthodox Jews' demure look - black hats, dark suits and sidecurls - to deflect suspicion at customs checkpoints, agents said. The Jewish couriers were told they were carrying diamonds and promised a free trip to Europe and about $1,500 if they agreed to retrieve packages in Brussels, Frankfurt and other cities. But authorities say the couriers ignored obvious signs that the shipments consisted of 30,000 to 45,000 pills destined for sale in New York City and Miami Beach. One Hasidic defendant, Simcha Roth, 18, was arrested at his parents' home Wednesday and charged with recruiting fellow Hasids as drug couriers in his hometown of Monsey, N.Y., and Brooklyn. He was being held without bail after pleading innocent to drug conspiracy and distribution charges. ``He's an 18-year-old from a good family and is anxious to do the right thing,'' Nick DeFeis, Roth's attorney, said Thursday. Roth's alleged role is a new twist on a burgeoning trade in Ecstasy, a synthetic drug popular in dance clubs. In the past nine months, more than 1 million pills were seized from smugglers at Kennedy Airport. The pills - which combine the effects of hallucinogens and stimulants - typically are made in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for 50 cents to $2 apiece, then sold for $25 to $30, authorities said. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
