Police making what a local newspaper called a "mega-operation" on the Rio favela of Coréia discovered two caimans, which they say drug traffickers used to intimidate enemies--and dispose of bodies. Says one cop:

The caimans are a symbol of power of the traffickers. When they catch a rival, they kill him and give him to the caimans.

The crocodile-like reptiles aren't exactly big, but we still wouldn't want to get near 'em--or the drug lords that put the critters to work. Still, a two-foot-long caiman has got to be less intimidating than a ninja gangster.

Related Stories:
· Police Seize Caimans, Weapons and Drugs in Rio Slum [O Globo, in Portuguese]
· Brazil: Police Seize Gang's Reptiles [NYT]
· Oh Rio! Dead Baby Penguins Make Us Sad [Jaunted]

[Photo: O Globo]]]> pbb 2008-09-04T09:15:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/27/171114/077

"One Day at a Time" star Mackenzie Phillips was arrested today in Terminal 4 of LAX after she tried to clear security while allegedly carrying heroin and cocaine.

The drugs were only discovered upon a secondary screening says an airport police spokesman:

During a second screening process, a small amount of what was believed to be heroin and cocaine was discovered on her person.

Dope and coke? Was she flying to Baltimore?

Related Stories:
· Mackenzie Phillips Busted [TMZ]
· Mackenzie Phillips Collared for Drugs [E Online]
· Mackenzie Phillips Ignores "No Smack Balloons" Signs at LAX [Defamer]
· Mackenzie Phillips Arrested [AP, via Google]
· Drugs coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-27T17:15:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/18/13500/9208

Guidebook guru and pot promoter Rick Steves just left the Netherlands, and he's got a substantial update on the marijuana scene in Amsterdam. First things first: Don't bother calling an ambulance after smoking too much because the EMTs will just tell you to walk it off!

But the big news is what's changed thanks to a new smoking ban--that prohibits indoor tobacco smoking but gives marijuana puffers a pass:

The Dutch, like the rest of Europe, mix their marijuana with tobacco. It might seem strange to an American, but if a coffeeshop is busted--it's busted for tobacco. Shops are mixing a kind of herb tea as a tobacco substitute for joints. Coffeeshops with a few outdoor seats have a huge advantage as their local customers can light up outside....

Many local smokers would rather get their pot to go than smoke it without tobacco at their neighborhood coffeeshop.

Thank heavens for American vice tourists then!

Related Stories:
· Lessons Learned in an Amsterdam Coffee Shop [Rick Steves]
· No Impulse Buying Magic Mushrooms [Jaunted]
· Drug Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: jlantzy]]]> pbb 2008-08-18T14:05:12-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/17/123535/732

Back in May, we told you about scenic Sinaloa, one of the epicenter's of Mexico's current drug war, where "mafia clothes" are on sale and shrines to coke traffickers are high on the tourist agenda. And while much of the country is still peaceful, violence is on-going around the US-Mexico border--and spreading.]]> pbb 2008-07-17T12:35:35-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/9/124527/5580

A couple of hard-up potheads stood guard at a bridge in Boulder, Colorado, police say, charging joggers and bikers a $1 "toll" to cross. That is, until one passerby--an off-duty sheriff's deputy--refused to pay. In an attempt to shake down the officer, one of the modern-day trolls hit him with a golf club, which as you can imagine didn't end well.

Once in custody, the pair explained to police that they were having a bad acid trip. But why were they hustling money on the bridge? They didn't have enough cash to buy a lighter for the joint they planned to smoke.

While police don't find the antics very entertaining, one local biker loves the story:

I think that's hilarious.

Related Stories:
· "Bridge Troll" Arrested after Confrontation [KMGH]
· Crime coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-09T12:46:45-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/24/15638/8403

Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation is a Colorado-based group that says marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. And what better time to get that message out there than after a boozed-up passenger got thrown off her JetBlue flight at DIA.

Says SAFER Excutive Director Mason Tvert:

Adults should be allowed another option for relaxing and dealing with their anxiety when they fly. It is irrational and potentially dangerous policy to continue allowing passengers to get drunk before and during flights while prohibiting them from simply making the safer choice to use marijuana prior to boarding.

We can think of at least one travel guru would probably get behind this effort: Rick Steves. And come to think of it, SFO already has one pre-boarding pot lounge. Book those flights now, Snoop!

Related Stories:
· SAFER [Official Site]
· Group Calls for Airport Marijuana Lounges [KUSA]
· Nicotine Fiend Flips out on JetBlue [Jaunted]

[Photo of Snoop's 2006 arrest at BUR: US Weekly]]]> pbb 2008-06-24T15:15:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/19/13196/9864

A British woman, who amazingly isn't Amy Winehouse, was arrested at Trondheim Airport in Norway wearing a large wig:

Concealing 2.2 pounds of cocaine glued to her head.

The bewigged coke carrier was coming off a flight from Copenhagen and had the drugs glued so firmly to her head that she had to be hospitalized to de-stick the contraband from her real hair, a local newspaper said.

Before Amy and others with outrageous dos get too excited about the coke-cloaking potential of their beehives, they should take note that this drug mule's downfall came directly as a result of her unusual hair. According to the AP, customs agents stopped the woman because they "suspected that she was wearing a wig."

Related Stories:
· Norway Arrests Woman for Carrying Cocaine in Wig [AP]
· Drug Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Original photo: The Superficial]]]> Hunter Walker 2008-06-19T14:00:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/