Drug agents bust Bio-Buzz

By Pete Skiba (2291)
pete.skiba@albanyherald.com

As of Wednesday, October 26, 2011
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

The Bio-Buzz Botanica store at 612 N. Slappey Blvd. was raided by Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit agents at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Albany — ALBANY — After a year of undercover buying at the Bio-Buzz store, Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit agents raided the business Wednesday and found 10 pounds of illegal marijuana substitute, said the unit’s commander.

“We have more than 1,500 pieces of evidence to sift through,” Maj. Bill Berry said after the 9 a.m. Wednesday raid. “In that total is included 10 one-gallon bags of green leafy material that appears to be spice.”

The 1970s “head-shop” style business is owned by Stephen Bradford, who was charged with felony drug possession, Berry said. Others employed at the shop also face arrests, he added.

“We are looking at our undercover officers’ video tapes to identify the employees who have sold to them,” Berry said. “We’ll get warrants for their arrests.”

Spice is the street name for a marijuana substitute that is a Schedule I controlled substance, Berry said. The other suspected drugs fall into a bath-salt family that has been illegal in Georgia since May and nationally since Sept. 7, he added.

Berry said that smaller bags found with brand names such as “Blue Magic” and “Blueberry Yumyum” are bath salts that are also illegal. He added that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab will be testing the material.

According to the website webmd.com, effects from ingestion of the bath salts result in agitation, paranoia, hallucinations and severe psychosis, like an amphetamine overdose.

Almost a throwback to the days of hippies, Berry said agents also found mushrooms in the botanical store’s stocks.

“They are labeled ‘Psycho-active Mushrooms,’” Berry said. “Back then, Psilocybin in mushrooms would produce hallucinations. We’ll have them checked at the lab. The (drug-detection) dog Coco hit on a couple other spots, so we are still searching the shop.”

More like this story

Man steals tip jars from Bio Buzz ( December 27, 2011 )
Arrest made in burglary ( December 27, 2011 )
Drug unit chief outlines illegal drug use in area ( February 25, 2012 )
Drug unit confiscates 1.3 pounds spice drug ( March 3, 2011 )
Two suspected gang hangout homes raided ( September 29, 2011 )

Albanite 1 year, 7 months ago

Has APD just given up on trying to solve actual crime? All these idiots at Biobuzz - yet nobody out searching for stolen cars and crack dealers? How about the obvious frauds and illegal acts being committed inside City Hall on a daily basis? Its obviously time to cut way back on the APD budget until they get their priorities straight.

guardian 1 year, 7 months ago

Hellllooooo....ADDU...Albany-Dougherty DRUG unit...What do you expect them to do?!?!?!?

Albanite 1 year, 7 months ago

Disband. ADDU is a waste of time and money. During all this hoopla over Biobuzz (one of the few profitable businesses left in Albany), There was a robbery in broad daylight at the intersection of Old Dawson and Westover.

firefly 1 year, 7 months ago

Profitable? If so, only because of illegal activities. Did you happen to whitness this robbery or were you part of it?

lesjar1 1 year, 7 months ago

what a shame.

albanyherald1 1 year, 7 months ago

Profitable? No different than the drug dealers on the street corner making a profit. That statement was laughable. The ADDU focus their efforts on keeping ILLEGAL drugs off our streets and out of our childrens hands. They are not the only law enforcement in town. Their are other people in the department to handle the other crimes that happen. And there are GONNA be robberies and crimes happening. Or should these officers have a crystal ball so they could've been hiding in the bushes at the intersection of Old Dawson and Westover to help thwart a crime?

guardian 1 year, 7 months ago

Not that it is relevant, but that robbery occurred about 8 hours AFTER the raid.

firefly 1 year, 7 months ago

In case you didn't know drugs are illegal and therefore an actual crime. Also, bath salts that can be "smoked, snorted, or injected to get high" kinda sounds like crack to me!!

lesjar1 1 year, 7 months ago

U r so ryte

Citizen_A 1 year, 7 months ago

Wondered when this would happen....not a shock.

Sixty 1 year, 7 months ago

@ Albanite - All I can say is "here's your sign". Do you think that they do not have people out on the street as well. Why is it hard for people to follow the law. Albany is a town with about a 70% poverty rate. Poverty and crime go hand and hand. There will never be enough police to catch every thing that is going on.

The agents found illegal bath salts, which could be smoked, snorted or injected to get high, said Maj. Bill Berry of the drug unit. They also found drug utensils and what could be hallucinogen-inducing mushrooms, he added.

Did you not read the above statement? Follow the law and you will not have these issues.

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