Pubdate: Thu, 26 Feb 2004
Source: Sidelines, The (TN Edu)
Copyright: 2004 Middle Tennessee State University
Contact:  http://www.mtsusidelines.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2861
Author: Wendy Caldwell
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

WOMAN WANTS WEED, GETS ORGANS INSTEAD

After a bizarre turn of events, one must wonder who's dumber: The
woman who came to pick up a shipment of marijuana or the airline
employees who switched her shipment with transplant organs.

The woman and a man were arrested for attempting to smuggle 140 pounds
of the popular drug.

Upon exiting the aircraft, the woman, whom police later identified at
Tabatha Bracken, went to pick up her package. At least she was smart
enough to use a false ID when picking up the shipment.

Here's the kicker: The airline was also transporting another expensive
shipment, this one with organs kept at -275 degrees Fahrenheit. The
organs, as one would assume, were set for transplant, the recipients
being in Ontario, Canada and Buffalo, N.Y.

What a rude awakening she had when she opened the packages expecting
marijuana and instead found a pulmonary valve and a saphenous vein.

Yikes. What a predicament. She really needed the marijuana for
business purposes, but she had no need for the organs and no way to
get rid of them without returning them to authorities, who would no
doubt question her about how she ended up with the
transplants.

At some point that night, a person called the airline inquiring about
the drug shipment. Definitely the works of a criminal mastermind.

Bracken then went to the Delta ticket counter and attempted to
exchange the organs for the drugs.

Naturally, the plan went awry, and Bracken was arrested, in addition
to Dalvan Robinson, whom police arrested when he tried to flee the
scene.

The organs were successfully delivered to the hospitals for transplant
surgery.

In the future, Bracken should think twice about what she checks and
what she carries on, if she's released.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin