Contributed Photo/Courtesy DPS: The Arizona Border Strike Force seized 99 pints of Promethazine, which is used in the making of the popular narcotic concoction “Purple Drink.”
The seized narcotic has a street value of about $150,000
Contributed Article
Tucson — On Monday, July 9, during a traffic stop along I-10, members of the Arizona Border Strike Force (ABSF) made two arrests and seized 99 pints of codeine, which can be sold for over $1,500 per pint.
The drug which is commonly used in cold medication is popular with younger people as a key component of so-called “purple drinks.” Drug users mix codeine with soft drinks in order to obtain a high.
The street value of the seized codeine is estimated at around $150,000.
The Safford Police Department previously made arrests involving an alleged ring that moved the same prescription narcotic from Arizona to Washington. That case is now being tried by the Attorney General’s Office with local Graham County defense attorneys representing the suspects not only in the Graham County case but in all the charges from throughout the state. Read the article about that case here.
In the recent ABSF case, Micah Owen-Forney, 22, and Lubre Peeler, 24, both of Maryland, were arrested. They were charged with possession of a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug for sale, transportation of a narcotic drug for sale, and conducting a criminal enterprise.
