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Buck-
Labrador Retriever
Trained in
Drug-Law Enforcement
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Visit our
other Heroes: Talli
Kassan
J.D. |
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Meet 'Buck', Sheriff's Drug-Busting Labrador
By Pete Hulth, Harold Staff Writer
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"Buck",
a Labrador Retriever trained to sniff out illegal
drugs and other contraband, is shown
with his
principal handler, Deputy Mardy Benson
of the
Johnston County Sheriff's Department.
(Herald photo by Pete Hulth)
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To help in the fight against illegal drugs, the
Johnston County Sheriff's Department has bought a
registered black Labrador retriever.
The County Commissioners authorized an expenditure
of $2,500 for the purchase of such a dog last year
after Sheriff George E. Johnson stressed the need
for one in the fight against drugs.
The dog, named "Buck", is being used in the search
and seizure of contraband, mainly drugs.
Buck has been certified in narcotics detection by
Sentinel K-9's of Fayetteville following a rigid
course of instruction.
Deputy Mardy Benson, the dog's chief handler, was
certified by Sentinel K-9s in the use of
narcotic-detector dogs following 40 hours of
training. Subjects covered include proper methods of
"reading" the dog, search patterns, vehicle
searches, and the searching of commercial air
carriers.
"Buck will search for and indicate with an
aggressive response marijuana, cocaine, MDA, Heroine
and methaqualone - the illegal drugs we're most
often confronted with here in Johnston County",
Deputy Benson said.
Both Buck and Deputy Benson are in a program of
continuing education to broaden their experience in
drug - law enforcement.
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Drugs Found in Suitcases; Man Held (Sept. 1983)
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Officers of the Johnston County Sheriff's Department -
assisted by their drug detecting dog and an agent of the
State Bureau of Investigation - discovered two suitcases
filled with Quaaludes Thursday. Street value of the tablets
was placed at $160,000.
Detective Storey of the Sheriff's Department said Graham
Beasley, about 35, on Route 3, Four Oaks was arrested at his
residence on authority of an involuntary commitment paper
issued by a magistrate on a complaint filed by Beasley's
wife. He subsequently was charged with felonious possession
of a controlled substance and possessing the illicit drug
for purposes of sale and distribution.
On information and belief, Storey reported, a search
warrant had been obtained to check Beasley's
residence for possible drugs;
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and the search was extended to the home of Beasley's
mother, also on Route 3, Four Oaks, where the
officers went to pick up a minor child to return to
Beasley's wife.
There, a number of suitcases were found, and the
dog, Buck, indicated that drugs were in two of them,
Detective Storey said. With court authority, the
suitcases were opened; and approximately 20,000
white tablets packed in bags of approximately 1,000
each were uncovered and taken to an SBI laboratory
for analysis.
Detective Storey said that a detainer will be placed on
Beasley at the Mental Health Center to hold him for court
action and that he will ask for at least a $20,000 bond for
Beasley's appearance in District Court
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