I think this is the story your friend is referring to. I tried to send the page from AllAfrica but couldn't. Here's the text:
Five Gambians In US Drug Bust
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The Independent (Banjul)
May 7, 2001
Posted to the web May 7, 2001
Banjul, the Gambia
Five Gambians, two from Reading and three from North Carolina in the United States, were arrested Tuesday by members of the Bethlehem Police Special Operations Unit following a buy-bust operation during which police say one of them pulled out a loaded .40-calibre semiautomatic gun and attempted to flee.
Sgt. Stuart Bedics said the men would travel from North Carolina to New York City to purchase the marijuana. He said they would then come to the Lehigh Valley and Reading area to sell the drugs. Bedics said Momodou M. Sahor 23, of Lillington, N.C., and Ismaila Omar Cham 23, of Raleigh, N.C., sold five pounds of marijuana to an undercover agent for $3,750 at 6:29 p.m. at W. Third Street and Brodhead Avenue.
He said after the buy, Sahor told them he could get five more pounds of marijuana from Reading. Sahor made a telephone call and set up a meeting near the Route 412 interchange of Interstate 78. After the call was made police moved in to arrest the two men and Sahor pulled out a loaded .40-caliber handgun from his waist and attempted to flee, Bedics said. He said Sahor ran a short distance and then surrendered to police.
Later, Bedics said, a car driven by Abubacarr Bangura 22, of Reading, and occupied by Gabriel Sarkis 23, of Reading, and Sulayman A. Jack 23, of Raleigh, N.C., arrived from Reading at Hellertown Road, near the Route 412 interchange about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. A police drug dog alerted officers to the trunk area of the vehicle.
Investigators said they searched the vehicle and recovered $3,740 under a passenger seat, $2,835 and a loaded Glock 9 mm gun under the driver's seat. They also said they confiscated a bag of cocaine in the car and five pounds of marijuana in the trunk.
Sahor was charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, delivery of marijuana, conspiracy, possession of a firearm without a license and possession of a firearm with altered marks of identification.
Cham was charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, delivery of marijuana and conspiracy.
Bangura was charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, criminal conspiracy and possession of a firearm without a license.
Sarkis and Jack were charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana and conspiracy.
The five Gambians were arraigned before District Justice Sandra Zemgulis of Easton, early Wednesday morning.
Bangura and Sahor were committed to Northampton County Prison under $200,000 bail each. Cham, Sarkis and Jack were committed to prison under $150,000 bail each.
Police reported that all five men left The Gambia allegedly to be enrolled in schools in the United States.
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Copyright © 2001 The Independent. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |