DEA Raids Melbourne Synthetic Drug Facility

By  //  July 25, 2012

At Least Four Arrested

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BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Agents from the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency swooped down on an industrial complex in Melbourne Wednesday in a raid on a suspected bath salt manufacturing facility.

The raid was conducted at a warehouse near the intersection of Wickham Road and Dusa Drive in Melbourne and at least four were taken into custody during the raid.

The DEA confiscated boxes of products containing “K2” and “Cloud 9” synthetic drug and herbal incense packets. They are derivatives of mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), which can cause severe hallucinations, paranoia, rapid heart rates and suicidal thoughts, when consumed, smoked or snorted.

The sale of bath salts in Florida has been banned under emergency authority granted under section 893.035 7 subsection A of the Florida statutes and the chemicals which make up bath salts were added to the Florida list of Schedule One drugs last year.

That designation made it a felony crime to purchase, possess, sell and distribute bath salt synthetic drugs.

The DEA moved to impose a temporary nationwide ban on bath salts last September and legislation has been introduced to make the ban permanent by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York.

DEA agents will conduct a press conference Thursday highlighting details of the raid.

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