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Drugs found in suspicious packages |
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Wednesday, 12 December 2007 |
Cliff Buchan
News Editor
A Minneapolis man was arrested on drug charges early Monday evening after he attempted to pick up two packages at the UPS Store, 2009 W. Broadway Ave.
Forest Lake Chief of Police Clark Quiring said on Tuesday officers of the Washington County Drug Task Force have confirmed the package contained a form of narcotics. Authorities first believed the drug to be khat, a leafy substance that comes from Africa.
City police officers and agents from the county drug unit arrested the 33-year-old man after he attempted to retrieve two packages at the UPS Store. Store Police said the man made three attempts to pick up the packages which weighed a combined 25 pounds.
Store employees became suspicious because the man's name did not match the mailing address and the packages, which were marked as toys, but did not have the feel of toys, police said.
The packages had been sent by U.S. mail and UPS from the United Kingdom for delivery to the UPS Store in Forest Lake.
Police here said county agents called in a drug-sniffing dog that hit on both packages as narcotics.
The arrest was made shortly after 6 p.m. in the shopping center parking lot, police here said.
The man was booked in the Washington County Jail in Stillwater on probable cause of fifth-degree controlled substance crime. He was released from custody on Tuesday.
Panhandler pinched
A panhandler who was working the parking lot entrance to Wal-Mart, 200 SW 12th St., was arrested by city officers on Friday for giving false information to police.
Police were called to the 12th Street entrance shortly after noon last Friday to check on a man and woman who were holding a cardboard sign and begging for money.
The man, 38, had no permanent address. The woman initially presented identification of a woman with an outstanding warrant in Anoka County. When the woman learned of the warrant, police said she presented valid identification.
The man was released, but the woman, Jodi Lyn Winslow, 40, of 11925 Redwood St. NW, Coon Rapids, was arrested and booked in the county jail on probable cause of gross misdemeanor give false information to a police officer.
The loitering complaint to police came from a nearby daycare center that requested the two leave the area.
Other reports
In other police reports, officers here are:
•Investigating break-ins at 16 storage units at McCullough Mini-Store, 20335 Forest Blvd. N. An eastside fence to the property had been cut and locks to the 16 units were also cut. On Tuesday, police were awaiting a master list of items stolen in the string of mini storage unit burglaries.
•Investigating why someone would drill several holes in the gas tank and attempt to cut the brake line on a Forest Lake woman’s car. The woman reported the incident to police after her car was checked out for problems at a local auto dealership on Monday.
•Continuing to enforce the overnight parking ordinance that prohibits parking on any city street between 2-6 a.m.
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